The Lost Daughter
by ChuckyDoll
Summary: This story, serving as a prequel to Dissenters and Descendants, depicts the account of a young woman who escapes Elsewhere to live the communities and is known in Elsewhere as the Lost Daughter. In the communities, she meets the Receiver of Memory, who alone can understand her pain. She learns of her fate and eventually births a boy who we have known as The Giver.
1. 7130 AD: Happy Birthday Sister

Aerona looked into the mirror, trying to untangle her unruly curls with an old brush that was said to be a family heirloom. She pulled on the brush a little tighter, wincing a bit, and used both hands. The hairbrush budged only a little and she pulled on it, getting more tangles out and removing several hair strands in the process. She gave it one final tug, causing pain to her scalp and letting out a yelp that provoked a comment from her older brother, who was waiting on the other side of the bathroom door.

"Aerona," said her brother, Macsen, "How long have you been in there?"

The sixteen-year-old girl came out of the bathroom with a sarcastic look and playfully pushed Macsen, who was a full year older. He tugged on her curls and she pulled away, going to her bedroom to change into some new clothes her parents had bought her for her birthday. She opened the door and felt a soft breeze, realizing that the door leading to her grand balcony was open. From that balcony, she could see the entire city of Rockbourne, which was one of the wealthiest cities in the entire Eastern Province. She glanced at the view for a moment before turning to her closet, which was very large, even by the wealthy Rockbourne standards. The rather conservative Argall family was one of the wealthiest in the entire Province Union, which gave its members considerable influence. Aerona felt the effects, as she had to carefully pick out her clothes and monitor her behavior in order to keep up the family image. She chose a lovely knit dress with a soft overcoat and suitable boots (which she had to beg her mother to buy, as her mother initially thought they were too masculine). Aerona went downstairs, greeted by Macsen, who was wearing an elegant sweater and a formal cap that covered the soft curls framing his heart-shaped face.

"Ready for school?" he asked, making her lose her professional resolve she had rehearsed so often. She laughed and poked at his stomach.

"Aerona Meita-Gwendolyn Argall," Macsen joked, "Have you forgotten your manners?"

"Never speak to your dear sister in that tone, Macsen Dels-Caerwyn Argall!" she retorted, mocking her mother's voice, "We are to address each other in a professional manner. Mannerisms are habit forming; never forget that! We must remember who we are, both in and out of the public's eye!"

Macsen let out a hearty laugh and kissed Aerona's forehead, "Happy birthday, Airie."

It was a relatively long commute to their school. Aerona spent her time looking out of the window, watching the poorer families rake up the reddened leaves that marked the beginning of autumn. No doubt would her mother, Gwendolyn, remark on how lucky their family was that they could hire people so they wouldn't have to busy themselves with menial tasks. Her nose would be pointed slightly to the sky and her eyes looking straight ahead, not daring to look at those physically below her. Her father wouldn't be nearly as condescending. She recalled the way her father snuck into her room while she was supposed to be still asleep and whispered "happy birthday" in her ear, apologizing for the fact that he wouldn't be there when she woke up. She turned to face him, eyes half-closed, and gave him the warmest embrace before he left for work. The sound of music came from Macsen's brand new Automatic Music Player, which was a prototype model that no one else even knew existed. Aerona knew that Macsen had an interest in every type of music known to man, so it didn't surprise her that an ancient song from the 20th century rang inside their vehicle.

"Rhiannon riiiiiiiings like a beellllllllll through the night…"

"Stop it, Macsen," Aerona whined, "You do _not_ have a good singing voice."

"And wouldn't you loooooooove to looooooove her…"

"Macsen, I mean it!"

"She rules her liiife like a bird in flight and wouldn't you beee her looooover!"

Aerona simply laughed this time and kicked her legs out in front of her, not caring if her knit dress slid down to her bare thighs. Despite her family having rules about decency, Macsen and Aerona agreed that the idea didn't make much sense, so they disregarded the rule when they were alone.

"Someday, I will name my child Rhiannon," Aerona remarked, "Then many men will be her lovers."

"Pfft, you would," Macsen replied, "You know our uncle and his family are coming over for your birthday."

"Which uncle?"

"The incestuous bastard child," Macsen admitted rather openly, "His son is… eh… a little _off_. You can thank his father for that."

"Mother is probably doing this to improve our image," she replied, "How this would work, I have no idea."

"I predict that when you become of age, you will move out and become those Travelers that Mother despises simply to anger her," Macsen admitted, "And perhaps have a beautiful love-child fathered by an artist aiming for social reform."

"I like that euphemism," she replied, "The word 'bastard' feels so derogatory."

Macsen pulled up in the school's vehicle lot and rubbed Aerona's hand. The young girl pulled out a mirror and saw a little brown speck in the left iris of her blue eyes. Once, she had asked her mother for an eye-color change, but Gwendolyn refused on the account of her repulsion to pop culture. Aerona crinkled her nose at the abnormality and put the mirror away, sighing before leaving the vehicle.

"Have a good day, sis!" Macsen shouted as she ran to her friends.

"What happened to your speech patterns? You are an Argall!" she replied with a laugh, prompting a wide smile from her brother.

He left to his classes, joining his secretly playboy friends. Once her laugh ended, her momentary sense of joy left her body and remembered that if it had not been for her few friends, she would be facing the consequences of rejecting odd social mores alone.


	2. 7130 AD: Here's Your Present

Aerona sat down in the institution's plaza and checked the time. It was 8:45, which meant that her first course started in fifteen minutes and her best friend, Ismene Meita-Svetlana Izbavitelov, would be here in five. She looked around, seeing every wealthy child make his or her way into the comfortable seats, eating the relatively cheap meals provided by the school. She counted her credit, which was held in an electronic device that had a picture of ancient paper money on it. She had enough to feed both herself and Ismene this week. Aerona felt bad for Ismene, as the latter had come here on a scholarship and currently lived away from her family, often forfeiting lunch credit to purchase other goods. The wealthier girls at the school bullied Ismene for her lower economic status, so Aerona provided both food and protection under the Argall name. No one ever dared to mess with an Argall, even if that Argall was the black sheep of her family. Aerona had received companionship in return, as she couldn't think of very many people whom she would interact with. For this alone, she had received the title of "snob".

Ismene arrived, her more utilitarian style clothes wrinkled from repeated uses. Aerona could see that Ismene's guardian hadn't been paid well this week, so Ismene had to go without a clothing wash. She thought about offering to pay for such a service, but she knew that Ismene would become self-conscious about her appearance, so she dismissed the notion. Ismene almost tripped over her own foot as she made her way to the seats. She took out an old model of the commonly seen public net device and changed the batteries. Aerona thought of getting her a new one that wouldn't inconvenience her so much, but Ismene would protest. The poorer girl didn't like the fact that she had depended on Aerona so much. Aerona couldn't decide whether she loved or hated that part of Ismene.

"Aerona!" Ismene cheered, "Happy birthday."

"Thank you," Aerona said almost callously. Just one gaze at their upper-class surroundings gave her a headache.

"Airie," Ismene whined, "It's your _birthday_."

"And neither of my parents were there this morning," Aerona explained, "In order to compensate, they are giving me _more_ useless crap and making me see my inbred cousin. My mother doesn't even _like_ him!"

"How long did it take to finish your nightly assignments?" Ismene asked.

"You mean you _didn't_ do them?"

Ismene huffed as she straightened out her clothes. Aerona could see a few stains on her back and sighed, hoping Ismene wouldn't take offense to the mere mention of it. She knew she couldn't protect the poor girl forever, as they would pursue completely different paths upon graduation. Ismene placed a hand over her stomach and Aerona knew she would have to buy some food soon.

"I had to work last night," Ismene explained, "And I spent the credit on my guardian because she became sick."

"Why didn't you just ask me?" Aerona asked in a snappish tone, "I can give you credit easily. My family sure in fucking purgatory doesn't deserve it."

They both got up to receive food from the chef working behind a tinted window. The man smiled at Aerona and gave a polite bow. The wealthy adolescent smiled politely, remembering the way Gwendolyn had rigorously trained her, and watched as the chef expertly flipped over crepes with all sorts of sweets inside. Ismene licked her lips, waiting for Aerona to pay the chef, and the duo took their food. Ismene ate hungrily while Aerona only poked at her breakfast. Ismene checked her watch.

"We have five minutes left," Ismene informed her.

"You can have mine," Aerona said, "I can hardly eat. Besides, what are the chances that you actually had dinner last night?"

"Thank you."

Aerona looked around. She saw a girl named Hanna Birambaum. Oftentimes, Hanna tried to talk to Aerona, but Aerona saw nothing interesting in her. Gwendolyn often told her daughter that Hanna was a respectable young woman, but Aerona saw that Hanna only tried to befriend her so she could get to Macsen. She started to miss her brother and looked around, noticing him among his friends, one of them making a perverted joke. Macsen shrugged. Aerona took out her public net device and checked her schedule. Her first class was Modern Languages. Hanna was in the same class.

"Well, I'd better go," Ismene said, "I have Government now."

Ismene ran away, receiving odd looks from other girls and Aerona left to her first class, which she nearly slept through hadn't Hanna woken her up with a birthday song.

"Oh," she yawned, "Hello, Hanna."

The class started and Aerona came close to falling asleep again. She woke up when the teacher started talking about the link between the linguistics of several modern languages and their respective cultures, which Aerona sometimes found interesting. Today, she just wanted to go home and sleep.

Class ended and Aerona was just about to leave the room when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Aerona," Hanna greeted her cheerfully, "My parents invited your family to dinner at our estate tomorrow. We would have done it today, but you were already doing something for your birthday."

"Thanks," Aerona said plainly before entering the school hallway.

The air seemed to chill her skin and the walls appeared increasingly gray, despite the color paintings that adorned them. She remembered a time when Gwendolyn had visited the school and wondered why Aerona's paintings weren't displayed. Gwendolyn had contacted her art teacher only to find out that Aerona's paintings were too gruesome to be displayed on the school's walls (Aerona couldn't help but maintain a smug expression when her Gwendolyn saw her daughter's version of Francisco de Goya's _Cronos Devouring His Children_). Since then, Gwendolyn refused to see any more of Aerona's paintings, which was all right with Aerona, as the adolescent hadn't liked painting very much anyway.

Not many of the classes interested Aerona, so she couldn't help but fall asleep in all of them. Only the bell that signaled the end of each course could wake her up and the young girl took note that the teachers would be asking for personal conferences tomorrow. She could barely keep her eyes open as she made her way outside for a late lunch. Aerona could have sworn that she would be able to sleep standing up.

"Airie!" Ismene called.

"Hey," Aerona yawned.

Ismene ran to her and gave her a hug, which nearly threw Aerona off balance. The brunette huffed and shook her off. She looked at Ismene. _Damn purgatory, I must have "hurt her feelings" again._ Aerona felt only slightly guilty, but decided to apologize anyway, otherwise Ismene wouldn't talk to her. She almost wanted to laugh to herself at that last part. Who else would Ismene talk to?

"I'm sorry, Ismene," she half-lied, "I'm just not in a good mood."

"It's okay."

Ismene held Aerona's hand. The brunette noticed that the blonde's hand was slightly sweaty and wanted to pull away, but she didn't want to bother with Ismene's puppy-dog eyes. They were rather annoying.

Aerona was grateful that school ended early. Macsen picked her up in the usual spot in the vehicle lot and Aerona said goodbye to Ismene, who left to some public transportation spot that she didn't know about. Aerona pulled on the strings of her overcoat nervously when she got in their vehicle. Macsen seemed to take notice.

"Airie," he said, "You okay?"

She nodded.

"I don't believe you."

"You're right not to."

He drove home and Aerona found Macsen's AMP (Automatic Music Player). She thought of her birthday with her uncle and inbred cousin and wondered how it was going to go. Gwendolyn would try to keep up her appearances and tolerate this uncle that Aerona had never met. No doubt would their attempts at a nice dinner fail and Aerona would go home to rip up a pillow or something. Something modern played on Macsen's AMP and she relaxed for a short while.

"Airie," Macsen teased, "We're home. Sort of."

Aerona went inside, removing her overcoat and going up to her room to pick out better clothes. She knew her mother would approve of the overcoat, as she had bought it for her. As for the rest of her attire, her mother would demand that she change into something more feminine. She fixed the strings on the overcoat so her mother wouldn't notice how badly she messed them up earlier. Macsen knocked on the door.

"Hey Airie," he said with a smile, "Picking an outfit that Dear Mother won't say no to?"

"Yeah," Aerona replied, reaching into her closet, "The overcoat is black, so maybe a shorter dress and something thin to cover my legs."

"Preferably a dress with a boring color and some rich-kid design."

Aerona smiled and picked out a beige dress, holding it up for Macsen to see. He gave it thumbs up.

"Perfect," Macsen said, "Put some stockings on and you'll look like your mother."

"You're an ass."

He left her alone to change and she walked around her room, occasionally looking at the large mirror hung on the wall to the left of her bed. As she prepared herself in front of the mirror, she stared at the dark imperfection in her otherwise pretty blue eyes. Her hair hung awkwardly around her face and she decided to use a new hair straightener that Hanna had bought her ahead of time. It was a rather tedious process, but Aerona thought that her tamed hair would draw focus away from that little flaw in her iris. She found various cosmetics and touched up her face. Proud of her work, she changed into her dress and found soft, comfortable shoes to go with it. Aerona waited for her parents to come home.

"Aerona?" Gwendolyn called, "Are you home?"

_Another test_, Aerona thought, _come down promptly and be proper._

Aerona trotted down to her mother, trying to be graceful, and saw her parents standing by the door. Gwendolyn had her hair tied back in a bun and a lovely scarf thrown around her neck and shoulders. Caerwyn, her father, wore a formal cap over his graying hair and put on a nice jacket. Gwendolyn smiled weakly.

"Happy Birthday Aerona," she forced, "You look nice."

Aerona expressed false gratitude. Caerwyn looked around, rubbed his nose, and raised an eyebrow rather casually. Aerona wondered what Caerwyn was noticing.

"Where's Macsen?" Caerwyn asked with a polished accent.

"Upstairs."

"That bastard," Gwendolyn muttered, "He knows we're leaving."

Aerona watched as Gwendolyn carefully walked up the stairs and shouted, "You know, calling Macsen a bastard doesn't exactly imply nice things about you, Mother!"

Caerwyn nudged Aerona and huffed. The brunette went outside and looked for their vehicle, which was waiting close by. She got in the backseat and tossed her hair around to perfect it while she waited for her family. Aerona waited around, trying to imagine what her uncle and cousins looked like before her thoughts drifted to Ismene. Wouldn't she enjoy trading lives with her? Aerona cringed at the thought, as she wouldn't be accustomed to choosing between food and school supplies. How would she find extra money on the side? She would probably end up on the streets and kiss a lot of men for a living. Aerona couldn't think about that anymore, so she looked outside again.

Her family finally situated themselves in the vehicle and Caerwyn drove. Macsen placed a hand on Aerona's palm in attempt to be supportive. She breathed deeply. The air seemed chillier.

"What is our uncle's name?" Aerona asked.

"Sieffre," Caerwyn answered.

"And my cousins?"

Macsen shifted in his seat, cracking his neck. Aerona watched as Gwendolyn crinkled her nose at the sound and reclined, closing her eyes. She imagined Ismene at tonight's dinner, eating as much as she could and taking something in case she couldn't find food later. At that moment, she felt lonely enough to want her company. She sighed.

"His oldest child is named Pryce. He has two daughters. I think you'll like them."

"Who are the daughters?" Aerona asked, wondering why Caerwyn omitted their names.

"Isolda is seventeen. Elise is about your age, I think."

Aerona looked outside. There were people strolling around carefully plotted gardens, women wearing pretty jewels around their necks, men wearing formal caps, children attempting not to ruin their shining shoes and the poorer people working to maintain the gardens for low wages. One of them looked similar to Ismene. Aerona turned away.

"Isn't it nice that we don't have to work that way?" Gwendolyn pointed out, "They receive such low pay. It's a wonder that they get anything to eat."

"Why don't you found a charity, then?" Aerona replied sarcastically, "That way, the entire Province Union will see how much you pity then."

Gwendolyn huffed as they pulled up to a home smaller than Aerona's. She still found it nice. Aerona waited for Macsen to get out of the vehicle and held his arm. He playfully patted her head and they stood outside. Aerona noticed a buzzer. She pressed it.

"Hello?" said a raspy voice coming from a nearby speaker.

"The Argalls," Gwendolyn stated proudly, "It's Aerona's birthday."

Aerona heard a buzzing noise and the family went inside, escaping the chilly air. The interior of the house certainly did look better than the outside. There were a few paintings similar to the ones Aerona had seen in school and a fireplace roaring on the other side of the room. Gwendolyn looked around and wasn't impressed. Typical Gwendolyn.

"Mr and Mrs. Argall," Sieffre greeted, "How are you? Are these your children?"

Macsen squeezed Aerona's hand, warning her of the upcoming introduction. Aerona studied Sieffre, noting how similar he and Caerwyn looked, despite their varied mannerisms. Caerwyn gestured to the younger pair and Sieffre's eyes lit up. She didn't think she looked that pretty.

"You must be Aerona," he smiled widely, "And… Macsen, right?"

Macsen nodded. The family was guided to the dinner table, where everything was already prepared. A young man who must have been Pryce smiled at Aerona and she sat down, looking across the table. Isolda and Elise sat at the other side, carefully picking what they wanted to eat. Macsen sat beside her and pointed to Pryce.

"That's the kid I told you about," he whispered, "Remember? On the way to school?"

"He can't be that bad."

A butler came to serve everyone drinks and Sieffre's girlfriend came to the table, dressed up in jewelry that only somewhat matched. She had her hair done up in pretty curls and kept her lips a dark red. She introduced herself as Sandy-Jane and Aerona remembered her from an excursion she took in the poorer communities surrounding Rockbourne. Sandy-Jane, as far as Aerona knew, once had the type of job where she would dance and kiss a lot of men. She could tell that Gwendolyn didn't approve.

"Did you hear about the recent protests among the masses?" Sieffre asked.

Aerona knew what he meant by masses. They were all of those who fretted about where their next meal came from, those who had to choose between food and a clothes washing, and those forced to labor or dance for perverted men for a living. She looked at Sandy-Jane's expression and knew that the girl sympathized with the masses. Had Aerona not been friends with Ismene, she wouldn't have held similar sentiments.

Gwendolyn chuckled, "How could I not? I don't think it's something to worry about. There have always been protests."

"Proof enough that they exist for a reason," Sandy-Jane replied.

"They've been escalating," Sieffre added, "That's what I was addressing. Some of the writers are expressing more concern. One even predicted an outright rebellion."

"Against whom?" Caerwyn asked.

"Pfft, that's what I was wondering," Gwendolyn chuckled and sipped her wine.

Neither Aerona nor Macsen got involved with the conversation. She simply observed the refined mannerisms and listened to the high-pitched accents she had become so accustomed to. Pryce glanced at Macsen with an odd expression that Aerona couldn't interpret and her female cousins became just as animated as the adults in the discussion. Aerona couldn't believe some of their opinions about the poor, so she tried to distract herself. She ended up tapping her silverware to the tune of "Rhiannon", which had played in Macsen's vehicle earlier today, and hummed some of the lyrics.

"What _are_ you doing?" Gwendolyn asked her.

"…nothing."

Aerona decided to excuse herself just before everyone who wasn't an adult finished eating. The young girl decided to explore the house. The paintings, although nice, somewhat bored her, so she chose to trace the patterns on the wall with her fingers. The walls felt strange underneath her hand and she withdrew it, taking a step back. She wished she were able to paint pretty paintings for the walls of rich homes. Every time she tried, however, she thought of something gruesome and felt the desire to depict that image on the canvas merely for the sake of angering someone. Aerona wished she still had her version of _Cronos Devouring His Children_.

"Aerona," a sudden voice spoke close behind her, "Happy Birthday."

She jumped before she turned around and saw Pryce standing close by her. He had removed the formal cap that so many men wore and lost his aristocratic resolve. Instead, he flashed a friendly smile and his warm eyes seemed to sweetly ask for the companionship of anyone who gazed in them for too long. Aerona felt calm.

"You like any of these paintings?"

"Well, uhh," Aerona replied, trying to find a polite way to be honest.

"I'm guessing you want something more real," Pryce answered, "Would you like to see my art studio?"

"Sure," Aerona said with a wide smile. At least there was one highlight to this night.

Pryce led her down a hallway adorned with chandeliers, heading toward a door at the very end of it. He started to snap his fingers to some tune that Aerona didn't recognize. Pryce whistled merrily and she chuckled at his comical mannerisms, earning a raised eyebrow.

"What's so funny?"

"You just seem very lighthearted, that's all."

Pryce opened the door and let Aerona walk in first. She saw paintings hung up on every inch of the studio walls and several more leaning on easels. There were some of barely clad tribal huntresses that Aerona thought were quite aesthetically pleasing. Pryce also liked to imitate morbid pictures he saw, some from pop culture and others from several different mythologies. She noticed that when he painted a nude human body, he focused on aesthetics heavily. That part of his work appealed to her most.

"Sorry I didn't wish you a happy birthday earlier," Pryce said as he closed the door (Aerona wasn't sure whether or not he locked it), "Is this one a good one?"

"Not really," she replied, "I was tired most of the day."

"Why?"

Aerona chose to remove her overcoat and sit on a paint-stained couch. Pryce looked at one of his paintings and rolled up his sleeves. He took out a paint palette and made some changes to the picture he was working on. Aerona leaned over to take a look.

"What are you working on?"

"A picture of a woman nursing her child," Pryce stated, "My sister teased me about it and said I have an Oedipus complex."

"Which sister?"

"Isolda," Pryce admitted, "She's very into cultural norms. I say some of her ideas are a bit outdated."

Aerona giggled a bit and leaned back on the couch, removing her shoes and wiggling her toes. She stared at one picture of a nymph swimming in a pond and a man staring at her. It puzzled her as to why the nymph seemed so oblivious to the man's presence and she turned away, focusing on whatever Pryce was doing.

"Sometimes I research different counter-cultural movements. Right now, I'm looking into one that counters the cultural assumption of nudity and sexuality being directly associated," he admitted, "I know you look at similar movements often."

"Just how would you know this?"

"I have a friend who's very interested in hacking and decided to research the entire Argall family. He would say you are a bit of a deviant."

"You say it like you aren't one yourself."

Pryce let out a laugh and finished his picture. He flipped it over and showed it to Aerona, who couldn't help but smile. She stood up and walked closer to examine it fully. There was a single dark haired, dark skinned woman in a forest nursing a baby, who appeared to be not older than two months old. She guessed that Pryce must have tried to depict someone living before the idea of civilization ever came to existence. Aerona paid special attention to the baby.

"Did you ever look into the movement I just mentioned?"

"I read a little," Aerona admitted, "My brother read some of it as well. I can't say either of us disagree on it entirely."

"You two are very close, I assume."

"You assumed correctly."

Pryce walked right behind her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She placed a finger on the edge of the baby, tracing it around until she ended where she started. When she finished that, she did the same thing on the mother, followed by the surrounding trees. She found peace in this.

"I know that counter-cultural movement emphasized its idea in ancient art practices," Aerona noted, "From what I've read, many art students have sketched nude models."

"Oh, gosh," Pryce muttered, "I forgot to buy you something for your birthday."

Aerona turned around, "It's all right. People have spent enough credit on me. I'd rather have something personal."

Pryce smiled and looked around for a blank canvas. He set it up on a brand new easel and cleaned his palette, putting on several new colors of paint on it. He took some paintbrushes and a piece of charcoal to sketch with.

"How about I paint a picture of you for your birthday?"

"In alignment with the movement you've been studying?" she asked skeptically.

"If you want," Pryce answered, "I'm actually looking to submit some work to the public net for it. I'm going to need a model, though."

"So we have an even exchange?"

Pryce chuckled, "Sure."

Aerona removed her stockings and beige dress before she sat down on the cold floor and chose a position. She was lying in a supine position, her knees bent and her hands covering her stomach. Pryce studied her before sketching roughly on the canvas. Aerona tried to not move or giggle, but she couldn't help herself when it came to those things. It reminded her of the times she used to play hide-and-seek.

"I like your eyes," Pryce said, "They go against the conventional idea of beauty."

"Thanks."

She had only known him for a couple of hours and already she knew she could trust him. The chilly air gave her goose bumps and Aerona tried not to cover up her arms and chest. The way the cold would make her developed chest appear embarrassed her, but she hoped she could think of something else until Pryce was finished with the painting. She thought of Ismene's family participating in the protests that Sieffre spoke about earlier. If the poor had ever targeted the Argall family, then Aerona hoped that Ismene would bring her to her family in Fort Hansfield so none of the dissidents would know that she was one of the wealthy. It was the least Ismene could do for all the paid meals she got out of the friendship. Oddly enough, Aerona started to miss her.

Aerona started to think about how much water she drank during dinner when it caught up to her.

"Um, Pryce," she asked nervously, "How far are you into the painting? I have to go use the bathroom."

"I'm almost done," he replied, "Go ahead. Bathroom's over there."

He pointed to a room to his right and she trotted there, locking the door behind her. After she relieved herself, she looked into the mirror and stared at the brown spot in her eye once more, trying to see it as Pryce saw it. Her wavy hair was starting to return to its previous state, bringing attention to her own flaws, and Aerona stepped back to admire her own bare body. She may not have developed as quickly as other girls, but she considered herself alright-looking. As Pryce said, it challenged conventional ideas of beauty.

She left the bathroom to discover that Pryce wasn't in this room, let alone near his easel. Aerona heard a noise and assumed that he was in an adjacent supply room to get more paint. She tiptoed to the painting and saw how accurately he depicted her. How would she take this home without her parents noticing? Aerona wanted to trace over the edges of the body, but refrained from doing so, as she remembered the paint was still wet. Otherwise, the picture was finished.

Aerona looked for her beige dress, stockings and overcoat, discovering that she couldn't find it. She checked the spot she thought she had placed them, realizing they weren't there, and looked near the couch for them. Frustrated, she checked in the bathroom again and near the other paintings, to no avail.

"Pryce?" she called, "Do you know where my dress is?"

She didn't hear anything, so she called his name again. One quick glance at the clock told her that her parents might leave soon. She had to find her dress quickly.

"Pryce?"

"I'll be right out," he called, "I'll help you find it."

She sat on the couch, curling up into a ball to warm herself up. Aerona looked at the clock, then at various paintings, then at the clock again. It was a wonder that Gwendolyn wasn't going through the halls in a fit, calling her name and demanding to know where she was. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

"I'll help you find it," Pryce said, indicating that he came back, "But I'll need you to do something for me."

"What do you need?" she asked, turning her head up to see him.

"This."

Aerona saw that Pryce was now in the same exposed state as her. Her thoughts first went to the painting, but the strange expression on his face told her he had something far more sinister in mind. She couldn't look below his waist and focused her gaze at the door. She could find her dress later. First, she needed to get out of danger, even if it meant streaking in her uncle's house. Aerona bolted.

Pryce caught up to her before she could even get past the painting he had finished. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him until she was close enough for him to grab her waist. She tried to pull away, but it proved too difficult. His fingers were digging into her wrist. He restrained her legs as well and held her until he got back to the couch.

"Leave me alone," she whined, crying.

"I told you I needed something from you," Pryce replied, "Now, shh. They can't hear you from here."

Aerona felt nothing but pain as she wept for what he took from her. She could smell blood and that stuff she didn't want to name. The pain inside her simply grew stronger and she tried to fight him off, but he was too strong. Red marks appeared on her wrists and indents from his fingernails adorned her back, legs and chest. She started to scream for help, but he covered her mouth. Aerona thought of Macsen's warning. _He's a little, ehh… off._ She didn't think he would be this insane. She just wanted her brother to burst through the door and torment Pryce for what he was doing to her. Another scream would have filled the room had it not been for Pryce cutting it off with his lips. She bit down hard and he pulled away angrily, slapping her in the face.

Pryce finally stopped and Aerona struggled to get up. He got his clothes and tossed her some paper towels.

"Clean yourself up," he barked and went to his supply room, where he brought out her dress, stockings and overcoat.

Aerona wiped her legs and received the clothes she thought she had lost. She put them on hurriedly, accidentally making a hole in her stockings and almost tearing her dress in the process. Pryce tossed her the shoes she was wearing earlier and she put them on, her thighs aching every time they moved.

"You can't tell anyone," he threatened, "Otherwise I'll come after you and your whole damned family."

She was still weeping when Pryce walked to the easel and took down the painting, writing something on the back. He approached her and she looked down. Pryce, using just on finger, turned her head up so he could kiss her and she pulled back. This was all too much. He handed her the painting.

"Oh, and here's your present," Pryce muttered, "Happy Birthday."

* * *

**Anyone recognize "Izbavitelov" and "Birambaum"?**


	3. 7130 AD: Not To Me, Airie

The whole night, Aerona struggled to walk without feeling a growing pain in and between her thighs. She tried not to wince when she walked to the vehicle, into her own house, and into the bathroom to take a scalding shower. Aerona locked the door behind her and adjusted the water electronically until it was the highest temperature the human body could tolerate. She made a hot stream pour from the shower head and stepped under it.

She started to cry uncontrollably, her body convulsing from her sobs as the water burned her skin. Aerona grabbed a beaded soap bar, scratching her own skin until the marks from the soap were indistinguishable from the nail indents that Pryce left behind. The soap slipped from her hand and she brought her fingers to the nail indents, immediately removing her fingers from those places afterward. Her body felt torn and her legs gave, causing her knees to hit the shower floor with a loud thud. She curled up in a ball, the water pouring down her hair and making a thick curtain in front of her face. Had her head not been turned down, that curtain would have cut off her air supply. She felt filthy. No amount of water would wash away the memory.

_You can't tell anyone; otherwise I'll come after you and your whole damned family._

"Airie?" Macsen called from outside, "Are you okay?"

She should have known better. Macsen always knew that she took long showers when she was upset about something. How long had she been in there? Her eyes ached from crying and her nose was stuffed.

"Leave me alone!"

"Airie, what's going on?" Macsen shouted, knocking on the door frantically.

"Leave me alone!"

She didn't know how long she remained on the floor before she turned off the water and dried herself off. Aerona wrapped the towel around herself and looked at her own face in the mirror. Her lips, eyes and cheeks were puffy and her nose was red. When she left the bathroom, she bolted to her room, lest someone saw her in just a towel.

Aerona quickly changed into her nighttime clothes, unable to look at her own body, and crawled under the covers. She heard a knock on the door and didn't bother to think of who it might be. The covers started to make the air surrounding her body quite warm and her body began producing sweat, which countered the entire purpose of the shower. Still, she didn't want anyone to see her broken state.

"Go away," she whimpered, doubting its effectiveness.

"Airie?" a familiar voice asked softly, "It's just me."

Aerona could hear the soft footsteps Macsen made and the barely audible noise the door made when he closed it. She counted the steps he took when he got closer to her bed and waited for the moment when he would place a comforting hand on her concealed arm. The recent memory seemed to replay itself in her head and she could no longer stand the idea of being touched.

"Aerona?" he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Leave me alone," she whimpered underneath the bed covers, "Leave me alone."

"Please don't do this, Airie."

Aerona couldn't stop crying. She felt Macsen wrap his arm around her quivering thin frame and tried to shrink. He just remained by her side until they both fell asleep. The horrific scene replayed in Aerona's dreams several times and the painting Pryce made would appear before her, his copy of Aerona changing from someone peacefully sleeping into someone in deep pain. The scream of the girl made of paint was silent, yet Aerona felt as if it deafened her. When she woke up, her body was covered in sweat. The light coming from the window was almost blinding. Aerona covered her face with a pillow, accidentally waking up Macsen.

"Airie," he yawned, "What time is it?"

"Don't know. Don't care."

"We're going to be late for school," he replied, "And you know how Mother and Father are."

Aerona found it difficult to care about what Gwendolyn and Caerwyn were going to say to her. On the other hand, she didn't think she could handle chastisement very well emotionally. She didn't want to get out of bed.

"I don't want to go to school," she said, crying a little.

"We have to, Airie," he sighed, "We'll talk on the way, okay?"

"No."

Aerona could hear him sigh in frustration. If he was already feeling this way, then how could he possibly deal with her if she goes further into a downward spiral? She could tell he was trying and cursed everything in existence for making this so difficult. She wanted to kill Pryce.

"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," he offered, "But we still have to go to school."

"No."

"All right," he sighed again, "I'll contact them and say you're sick, but we'll have to talk about this."

"No."

"Airie," he whined, "Why won't you tell me? Do you not trust me?"

She let out a sob and he quickly grabbed her in order to comfort her. Her entire body quaked against him and he kept making "shh" sounds. She wasn't sure how to tell him. It wasn't even a matter of intellectual capability. To say what happened meant reliving the memory. She was still in pain.

"Airie," he said, shedding a single tear and cupping her face, "Please don't do this. Not to me."

She couldn't tell him. By the time she mustered up the courage, it was too late.


	4. 7130 AD: What Happened?

For three months, Aerona remained silent. That horrific event would replay in her dreams every night and it became harder for her to get out of bed each morning. She started to ditch school more often and when she didn't, she hardly paid attention in class. Aerona didn't use the public net as much because she feared that Pryce would be stalking her on it. She couldn't stand to look at artwork anymore, let alone attend painting class. She would simply sit and stare at the canvas, remembering the painting that Pryce made for her (she never brought it home). One time, she experienced so horrific a flashback that she ran out of the classroom and fled to the lavatories to cry.

Ismene tried to pry into Aerona's thoughts, but the brunette would push her away, so the blonde girl would simply follow her like a lost puppy. Aerona didn't mind that Ismene followed her around, so long as she remained quiet. That way, if Pryce ever saw Aerona, he would hesitate before approaching her.

Aerona became paranoid of every video camera she saw. Each time she saw one; she turned her head away quickly and trotted off elsewhere. Ismene used to ask why, but now she knew better than to prod into Aerona's private thoughts and concerns, so she just accompanied her and did what she was told. Aerona felt bad about treating Ismene this way, but she was never sure if she truly wanted her company, so her treatment towards the poorer companion continued.

After a month, Aerona realized she had skipped a period. The realization came to her while Macsen was bringing her home and she checked her calendar to see when she had her period last. It was over four weeks ago. Internally, she panicked.

She wasn't sure she could tell Macsen, so she started to wonder if there was a way she could find out whether or not the worst happened without anyone knowing. If she went to a proper clinic, the information would be saved and people would find out. She looked up ways to check for herself on the public net, realizing that someone could easily see what she searched, and wondered just who might be looking at all of her actions. Aerona thought that Pryce would probably be following her right about now. Would he care if she were pregnant or not? She wasn't so sure it mattered. If he wanted to come and find her, she could figure out where he was beforehand and hide.

Aerona closed the door and undressed in order to check off all the symptoms. She looked at the list of signs of pregnancy. It listed breast pain and she realized that it had applied to her, so she kept reading the list.

_They may feel heavier or fuller or feel tender to the touch. The area around the nipples, called the areola, may also darken._

She looked at herself in the mirror, staring at her naked reflection. Her breasts started to hurt again and she massaged the undersides to soothe it, noticing that they weighed more. She noticed her areolas had darkened as well. Her head hurt and she was unusually tired. As she read through the symptoms, she realized that her worst fear came true: she was pregnant.

The thought of carrying a child that resembled Pryce made her cry and she placed a hand over her abdomen. She wanted to puke. Now Pryce would be inside her too. She started to think of possible options. Abortions were outlawed in the Province Union, so she knew she couldn't do that. She _could_ go to the District Union just along the border, but everything she did would be public and people would connect the dots. Her family would be angry with her for spoiling their image (aside from Macsen). Aerona wondered what would happen to her family if she kept the child. After some time, that thought became unbearable. She had to kill that baby herself.

"Aerona," Macsen said, opening the door swiftly, "Mother wants to talk."

Aerona saw Macsen's surprised expression in the mirror and hid behind her bed to conceal her body. Everything she felt before came back again and she curled up in a ball, quivering. She could still see Macsen's expression in the mirror and bit her lip to keep from making noise.

"Aerona? What were you doing?" he asked, turning his head to see Aerona's public net device displaying the list of symptoms.

"Don't tell Mother or Father," she begged, "Please don't."

Macsen hurriedly came into the room and shut off the net device. After the device was turned off, he left the room and let her change back into her clothes. She quickly put them on and went downstairs, wiping her face of whatever tears had formed earlier. Gwendolyn stood with her arms folded, her own public net device displaying some of Aerona's files from school.

"I want to talk to you about your scores," Gwendolyn remarked. "I know you weren't the best student at the school, but this is disappointing. You used to be so much better."

Aerona stood silently, not caring about her dropping grades. She stared blankly at her mother, who was sighing at the sight of her reports and placing a hand over her forehead in frustration. She turned around to see if Macsen was close by and spotted him hiding on the stairs, watching the scene with concern.

"I don't know what happened," Gwendolyn continued. "But this needs to stop. You don't care about anything anymore. You don't care about school, you don't care about your image, nor you don't care about your family!"

"I care about my brother," she retorted, not sure if this was enough.

"I want these grades fixed, young lady!"

This went on for another two months. Gwendolyn would ask her about her grades, which were beyond repair, Ismene would continue to follow her around (due to not having very many friends), Macsen would try to figure out what was wrong and Aerona would have that ever-present paranoia about Pryce. She felt like a zombie most of the time. She started to suffer from morning sickness, which she tried to hide from her family, and got strange food cravings. People would give her odd looks for her unusual food choices, but they otherwise wouldn't give it too much thought. She could never focus on anything except for ways to hurt Pryce and abort the baby.

There would be occasional moments when her thoughts could drift to something else. When that occurred, she mainly thought of the protests that her family had discussed the night of her birthday and wondered how that would affect Ismene's family. She found that aside from her own problems, she had a developing interest in that. Such things took her mind off her own issues, so she tried to look up as much information about that as she could and learned that families associated with her own were trying to suppress the protests of families like Ismene's. Aerona wouldn't think of how her family would be targeted next, only that such a revolution was happening.

By the end of the first trimester, she knew it was too late to get a legal abortion elsewhere. Her nightmares came back, stronger than ever, and she was fearful of falling asleep. To keep herself awake, she resorted to caffeine and other stimulants, not even thinking of how it would affect the fetus. She remained hyper-vigilant throughout the day, much to the concern of the teachers at her school, and they called her in for a meeting.

It was after school and Aerona was trying to hide her pregnant belly by adjusting her jacket. She tried to suck in her stomach, but it didn't seem to work. She just decided on having her arms in front to conceal it while she sat down. Aerona and her mother sat down in the headmaster's office five minutes before the meeting began and Gwendolyn acted cold and indifferent to her daughter. Finally, the headmaster came in.

The headmaster was a short man with red hair, which had been covered by a formal cap Aerona had seen on so many men. He greeted them politely and sat behind the desk in front of them, adjusting the cushioned seat to suit his height, and uploaded some files from his public net device.

"You _do_ realize your teachers are worried about you, right?" asked the headmaster. "This has been going on for almost four months."

Aerona nodded indifferently and Gwendolyn huffed. The headmaster scrolled through the scores on her recent assignments and raised an eyebrow when he saw that several of them were reported missing. Gwendolyn placed her hands on the desk.

"I have spoken to Aerona about her grades on several occasions, sir," she spoke. "I'm just as angry as you are."

"I never said I was angry," the headmaster replied. "I'm concerned. Such a dramatic drop in grades in such a short period of time is something not to be addressed with anger. This can be a sign of some sort of trauma."

Aerona tried to push the thoughts of that night away, but they fought back and made it to the forefront of her mind. She could remember almost everything about the event four months ago. The numerous paintings, the smell of paint, the sound of paintbrushes rubbing against a blank canvas, the chilly air, the pain in her lower half, the smell of blood and semen, and Pryce's threatening voice consumed her at that moment and she began to cry. She hoisted her legs up on the chair and started to rock herself.

"Aerona, what are you doing?!" Gwendolyn asked, but it seemed to sound like Pryce.

"Leave me alone," she begged. "Please."

"I'm sorry, headmaster. She isn't usually like this."

"I understand," said the headmaster, who was writing something in an electronic note on his public net device. "I'm sending you the name and workplace of someone who I think would be able to help her."

"Like a tutor?"

"She works as a tutor part time, but she specializes in psychological therapy."

Gwendolyn scoffed. "I can take care of my daughter just fine."

Aerona began to feel hot and unbuttoned her jacket. She grabbed two parts of it and waved it around like a fan to cool herself when Gwendolyn noticed a little bump on the girl's abdomen. She glared at it and Aerona realized her mistake.

"Aerona! What is _that_?"

"Nothing," Aerona said uncomfortably, buttoning up her jacket again.

"That's not nothing, Aerona. You tell me how that happened right _now_."

"No!"

"Aerona!"

"Leave me alone!"

Aerona fled the office and ran down the hallway adorned by paintings. She tried to keep her focus away from the pictures that reminded her of Pryce's studio and looked ahead of her, noticing the numerous cameras. She came to a point where two hallways crossed each other and turned left, running until another intersection came, and ran right, changing her course at each intersection before she saw someone in front of her and made a screeching halt.

It was Pryce.


	5. 7130 AD: Admission

Gwendolyn had caught up to Aerona when she saw Pryce with a wide smile. The young girl's legs froze and Gwendolyn held her arms in attempt to comfort her, but it was no use. As long as Pryce was there, Aerona could never feel safe. She couldn't decide if she felt fear or numbness.

"Pryce," Gwendolyn greeted. "What a surprise."

Pryce chuckled. "You probably didn't expect to see me. How are you, Aerona?"

Aerona looked down and muttered, "Pregnant."

Pryce tried to hide his worried expression as Gwendolyn glared at her daughter, slapping her arm. Aerona winced every time her mother's hand came into contact and started to cry. Aerona backed up against the wall, putting up her hands to defend herself and eventually pushed her mother away.

"It's no wonder your scores are dropping," Gwendolyn muttered. "I'm sorry. This isn't the best time to talk, Pryce. We _were_ in the middle of the meeting with the headmaster."

Pryce replied, "Well, if you don't mind, can you tell me where his office is? My father and I need to deal with transfer matters."

"Transfer matters?" Aerona asked, scared for her life.

_Transfer_ _matters_, Aerona thought. Pryce will be transferring. Now it wasn't just cameras she needed to avoid. She would need to avoid any classes he might be in, any lunch spot he or his potential friends would be in and any place he would partake in an extracurricular. Otherwise, he would always be able to see her. It would be a constant reminder of the night of her birthday. _As if the baby wasn't enough_, Aerona thought. If he was in any of her classes...

It was unthinkable.

Aerona placed her hands on her growing abdomen and wondered how she was going to hide it. She saw Pryce stare at her stomach and shied away, unable to think of what Pryce would do to her in order to hide his crime. When Gwendolyn was looking away, Pryce grinned maliciously. She grabbed her mother's arm.

"Can we go?" she asked.

Gwendolyn nodded, apologizing to Pryce for not being able to carry out the conversation any longer, and gave him directions to the headmaster's office. He thanked her and ran, checking his watch every so often and Aerona counted the seconds until he was out of her sight. Gwendolyn grabbed Aerona's arm with a tight grip and walked out of the building to their vehicle. They got in and Aerona cowered in her seat.

"When were you going to tell me you're pregnant?" Gwendolyn quietly asked, showing anger. "How long has it been?"

"Three months."

"Are you going to tell me who did it?"

"No," Aerona said, crying.

She curled up into a ball and Gwendolyn drove them home. Once they went inside the house, Aerona ran upstairs to her bedroom and shut the door. She went to her balcony and gazed at the view, watching her mother and father arguing about what she thought would be her pregnancy. She heard a knock on the door and opened it.

"Hey, Airie," Macsen said affectionately. "Can we talk?"

She nodded and closed the door behind him. Macsen sat on the bed and huffed, combing his hair with his fingers. Aerona didn't bother trying to hide her pregnancy from him. He had known for two months.

"So Mother and Father know now," he sighed. "What do you plan on doing?"

"I don't know."

"Father is thinking of putting it up for adoption," he replied. "You know how they like to put all the information on the records. They're going to want to know who the father is."

"Then Mother won't approve, I guess," she responded.

"I doubt you want to keep it."

"Not many options," she stated and turned away. "I can't abort it now."

They turned their heads in the same direction and heard a loud argument ensue downstairs. Macsen held Aerona and felt her tense up underneath his hands. Aerona wrapped her arms around his arm and wondered if her parents would come storming into her room and demand to know who the father was. How could she ever bring herself to tell them? They would either accuse her of lying or do something that would let Pryce know she told their secret. If Pryce knew, he would hurt her again. She had no way of knowing just how far he would go to hide his crime. Macsen sensed her fear.

Later that week, Pryce completed his transfer and shared a majority of his classes with Aerona. Despite the warmer weather, she still wore heavy vests to hide her abdomen. Aerona was eating more during her mealtimes and often snuck food into the class to soothe her hunger. On the day that Pryce completed his transfer, she decided to go to her first class early, against the advice Ismene gave her, and placed her belongings on the desk she sat at. She was busy organizing her assignments on her public net device when she heard the door open.

"Hello, Aerona," an all-too-familiar voice greeted. "I was hoping to find you here. I told the headmaster I was related to you and he advised that you show me around the school."

"What do you want, Pryce?"

"I want to know what classes we have together," he replied casually. "As well as other things. I remember you telling me you were pregnant."

Aerona refused to look at him. She could hear him coming closer and placing his belongings on a desk next to her own. She got up and moved away.

"Oh, what, can't we talk? I'm just trying to have a conversation."

"What more do you want from me, Pryce? You already have my innocence!"

He jumped over several desks and covered her mouth, causing her to emit high pitched whimpers. He used his other hand to form a cup around her head and she tried to resist him. After shaking for who-knows-how-long, he wrapped his arms around her and kept her mouth covered. Her tears hit Pryce's fingers and trailed down to the sides of her face as her whole body quaked.

"I want you to keep quiet. Your family already knows too much. Why didn't you just get some back alley abortion and pretend to be a tramp?"

Pryce uncovered her mouth and turned her head to face him. His fingers explored her curly hair and she backed away, hitting one of the desks. She jumped at the sound and stepped forward slightly in order to avoid something like that happening again.

"How long did you know about the baby?" he asked. "A month? Two months? Did you know when you started barfing some time after or did it take your 'buds' getting darker and your 'nursing tools' getting heavier for you to find out? Probably the latter, huh? I know because of that site you looked at. What are you going to name it, huh, Airie?"

"Leave me alone," she begged as he undid her vest and placed a hand on her protruding abdomen. "Get off me. Please."

"I just want to feel the baby," he snickered. "So, boy or girl?"

The bell rung and he stepped back, watching the door. Aerona frantically fixed her vest and sat in her seat, organizing her belongings. Class started and Aerona dreaded the rest of the day as she anticipated showing Pryce around the school and explaining what each office is for. Hopefully he would make friends and pay less attention to her. Aerona hoped her brother would be around to protect her if Pryce ever cornered her and got angry. Luckily, she didn't have to stay at the school for long.

* * *

Gwendolyn decided it was time to pull Aerona out of the school and hired the tutor/psychologist that the headmaster had recommended. Aerona overheard Gwendolyn making their first appointment while she was eating breakfast and wondered who this person was. Her mother seemed calmer than she did during her meeting with the headmaster and Aerona was mildly hopeful. There would be no more putting on a mask for everyone else at school, no more waking up early and no more of Pryce stalking her there. Now that her schedule could be adjusted whenever she wanted, she thought she could cope more easily. Her mother finished making the appointment and sat down beside Aerona.

"Do you understand why I'm doing this?" Gwendolyn asked.

Aerona nodded. "You told me last night, remember?"

"I wanted to know if you were listening."

"I was, Mother. You told me I was placed under too much stress at school and I needed a more flexible schedule," answered Aerona. "Besides, we don't need the whole world knowing that I'm pregnant."

Gwendolyn sighed. "I'm doing this for your own good."

"What did you tell the headmaster?" Aerona asked.

"I told him enough," Gwendolyn replied, fixing herself in the mirror. "I have to leave for work with your father. Your tutor will be here in a couple of hours. I wrote down her basic information for you."

Aerona noticed a note and picked it up, only glancing at it before her mother hugged her (which was rare) and said goodbye. She heard a honk from outside and chuckled a little, knowing how Gwendolyn would react to Caerwyn's impatient action. She heard them drive off and saw Macsen descending down the stairs in a hurry.

"Airie," he chuckled. "I almost forgot to say goodbye to you."

"Bye, Macsen," she sighed.

He rushed to her and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. This made Aerona grin for the first time in a while and she realized she didn't want him to leave for school. She turned around and hugged him tightly.

"You'll be okay by yourself, Airie?" he asked, patting her head affectionately.

Aerona nodded and he made a lot of noise when he left. She finished her meal and picked up the note, reading it curiously.

"Coralie Meita-Astrid Bellerose," she muttered. "How feminine and pretty. Seems like she'd be a gentle person."

Aerona got dressed and waited around for a couple of hours. She waited on her balcony and grew bored, so she went downstairs and thought of funny food combinations to pass the time. After she satisfied her odd food cravings, she cleaned herself up and tried not to think about anything at all. She became restless and started pacing around the room until she heard the doorbell ring. Aerona rushed to open it.

A thirty-something year old woman with strawberry blonde hair stood at the doorway with a small briefcase. She was wearing a creme dress with a thin tinted covering and her make up was light. Aerona assumed this was Coralie.

"You must be Aerona," said the woman. "I'm Coralie. Nice to meet you."

"Same."

Aerona made a gesture and Coralie walked in, looking around the place while Aerona closed the door. She leaned on it while Coralie's green eyes explored the place and searched for a suitable place to start their first session. Aerona wasn't sure if she was having a therapy session or a tutoring one today. Judging by the briefcase, she assumed she would have her first homeschooling lesson.

"Your mother has informed me about your situation," Coralie stated, her eyes traveling to Aerona's stomach. "It must be difficult."

"Very," Aerona said coldly.

"Gwendolyn told me she wanted you to have a therapy session first," Coralie continued. "She admitted that it was difficult for her to cope with. I can only imagine how hard this must be for you."

They sat down and Coralie tried to get as much information out of Aerona as she could before they started their lessons. So far, Aerona had only told her that she had been pregnant for 3-4 months, that she couldn't get an abortion, that her father wanted to put it up for adoption, and that she hadn't consulted the father of the child about anything. For the next few months, Aerona refused to tell Coralie about Pryce forcing her into everything. Without the threat of Pryce, Aerona was able to catch up in her studies. Several times, Coralie promised that she wouldn't disclose anything unless Aerona wanted her to. Aerona relaxed a little around her and her family members noticed a minor change in her. On several occasions, Macsen would walk in on one of Coralie's lessons and they would talk as a group. Coralie and Macsen got along well, which made Aerona happy. She didn't feel any better than she did before that horrific night, but Macsen saw hope in her. However, that feeling of healing was short lived.

* * *

Aerona was seven months pregnant. Coralie was giving a lesson in Government when Macsen knocked on the door and Aerona let him in.

"You have a visitor," Macsen said.

Ismene appeared behind the door and embraced Aerona warmly, nuzzling her shoulder. The blonde girl then stepped back.

"So that's why you don't go to school anymore," Ismene realized, staring at Aerona's stomach.

Aerona nodded. "Yeah. I've been tutored at home. That's Coralie over there. She's my teacher."

Coralie and Ismene introduced themselves to each other and Aerona noticed that Coralie didn't judge Ismene by her socioeconomic status. Ismene took comfort in this and sat down on Aerona's bed, looking at the ceiling.

"I've never been here before, Airie," Ismene stated. "Your house is huge."

Macsen closed the door, smiling as he watched their reunion. Aerona didn't show any outward excitement, unlike Ismene, who must have nearly died without Aerona's companionship. Coralie and Macsen stood side by side as Aerona tried to figure out what to say to Ismene, who was examining the room with awe.

"Uhh, how are you?" Aerona asked.

"School is lonely, Airie," Ismene whined. "My guardian has been getting better jobs, though. The other girls still pick on me, though. Especially Hanna Birambaum. She asked me about you, though."

"Yeah? And?" Aerona asked irritably. "What about this Hanna Meita-Sarah Birambaum?"

"Now she's been talking to Pryce because he's your cousin," Ismene informed. "And Pryce keeps trying to talk to me. He's kind of strange."

Aerona shuddered at the mention of Pryce's name. She hoped that he wasn't asking about her and that old feeling of paranoia came to her again. What did Pryce know about her? Aerona's hands started to chill and she rubbed them vigorously, hoping they wouldn't turn red.

"He's somewhat of a stalker."

Aerona gulped at the sound of that. Almost instantly, the details of the night of her birthday came back and she sat on the bed, rocking to soothe herself. She remembered the chilliness of his art studio and the way he looked at her before he took her innocence. Aerona tried so hard not to sob and Ismene crawled over, hoping to comfort her. Aerona found herself unable to push Ismene away and lost the will to resist anyone. Coralie and Macsen watched with horror.

"Airie, please don't cry," Ismene whined. "What happened, Airie?"

Pryce was stalking Ismene. What else did he _want_? Aerona couldn't think of what Pryce would do to one of her only friends. This was beyond what happened between them on her sixteenth birthday. She started to panic and Macsen went to embrace Aerona with a tight grip. Coralie looked at the group, then away, then back at them again. Aerona was tired of keeping secrets.

"Aerona," Macsen whispered. "What happened with you and Pryce?"

_Should I tell them?_ _Will Pryce find out? _

_What will happen to Ismene? _

_To Coralie?_

_To my family?_

Aerona kept asking herself these questions. She felt as if every memory concerning the issue of the conception and pregnancy made their way to the forefront of her mind until they would burst. Aerona felt the pressure to admit everything as Macsen kept asking what had happened. Her breaths turned into hiccups and she loosened up her limbs, making Macsen and Ismene relax their grip on her. Finally, she spoke.

"He raped me."


	6. 7130 AD: The Child

Aerona felt a strange sense of release when she finally admitted her secret to her companions, but she couldn't shake off that awful feeling she got when she saw expressions of shock and horror around her. As Aerona stood up, she watched Macsen look down, his hand on his forehead. Coralie, despite expressing shock, seemed to think that everything made sense now. The realization would have calmed Aerona, had it not been for Ismene coming close to crying. Aerona wanted to shout at Ismene for being the one crying right now, as the blonde had not experienced the horrific pain Pryce had inflicted. Ismene's eyes were becoming more bloodshot by the second and Aerona watched a single tear fall down the gentle girl's face in frustration. Her own hands left her protruding abdomen and she bit her lip.

"What in damn hell are you crying about?" Aerona raised her voice.

"He forced you, Airie," Ismene wept. "How?"

"It's what happens when you get naked in an art studio of your fucked up cousin on your birthday," Aerona explained bitterly. "He paints a picture for you and his little nether-region monster decides to launch an invasion."

"I'm going to kill him," Macsen kept muttering. "I'm going to kill him! First thing I do, I'll kill him!"

"Macsen," Coralie interrupted, standing up before him. "You can't. You'll get in trouble."

"_Do you not see what he did to my sister_?" Macsen screamed. "Why do you think you're receiving my parents' money? To help her! Do you really think she wants him alive?"

"Macsen!" Coralie shouted with a certain authority that Aerona had never seen before. "Don't yell at me, all right? We need to find a way to convict Pryce and figure out how Aerona is going to deal with delivering his child. He'll go after it and he'll hurt other girls like her."

Ismene whimpered her admission, "Pryce has hurt me too."

All eyes turned to her. Only she sat on the bed now, her legs crossed and her hands folded in her lap. Ismene didn't even bother wiping her own tears and sniffled in a way that seemed obnoxious to Aerona. The young blonde wiped just above her lips and under her nose before her hands folded in her lap again, getting a bit of snot on her clothes. Aerona thought about the girl's guardian getting better jobs and thought that Ismene could finally afford a clothes washing. The frizzy-haired adolescent laughed at herself. She admitted to being raped, heard her brother threaten to kill her cousin and saw her friend crying and all she thought about was a clothes washing. She really _did_ come from the pettiest and wealthiest family in Rockbourne. _No_, she thought. _The entire Eastern Province_.

"My guardian was out of work for two weeks and I desperately needed money. You weren't in school and I couldn't find Macsen. I resorted to walking the streets and finding men to kiss," Ismene confided. "I ended up in a dingy meeting place and Pryce was there. I couldn't take any other client."

Aerona rolled her eyes without Ismene seeing. She could have avoided that situation. Why didn't she just contact her family and ask for credit? Aerona sighed, almost scoffing at Ismene. Ismene consented to it! She could have said no! How could she possibly be complaining? Aerona looked back at Ismene and realized that there was more than Ismene was telling. She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"I had to resort to 'kissing men' before," Ismene continued. "I didn't think it would hurt so much. He is _sick_!"

Aerona didn't want to know anymore. She felt the child kick and huffed in irritation. _Stupid baby_, she thought. _Why can't it die?_ She thought about giving up the baby on several occasions and shuddered whenever she thought about the child growing up and wanting to learn who his (or her) mother was. Sometimes, she couldn't care about who her offspring might end up with. Other times, though, Aerona fretted about how he or she would turn out (she still couldn't get over the incest factor). She remembered just how messed up Pryce turned out to be and hoped that her child didn't inherit any of that. She had two months to figure out arrangements.

For two months, she, Ismene, Macsen and Coralie spent time figuring out what to do about the unborn child. Ismene poured through naming websites alongside Gwendolyn, who specifically stated that the baby should have a Welsh name. Coralie was now focusing on Aerona's mental health and Macsen was figuring out who the child would live with. He was searching for couples who would want it, but those he had asked kept wondering who the biological parents were, so Macsen disregarded them. After some time, he gave up the search and started watching over his younger sister intently. Aerona's nightmares lessened, but when she got close to her due date, the nightmares returned.

* * *

_"Don't tell anyone," Pryce said. "Or I'll kill you and your whole damn family."_

_She was lying in her bed, stark naked and shivering. The window was wide open and the curtains were rising and falling, making soft noises that enhanced Aerona's fear and anxiety. Goosebumps adorned her entire body and her thighs felt wet. She raised her head and realized it was blood. Aerona felt filthy and started to sob._

_"Quit crying, 'Airie', otherwise they'd hear you," Pryce whispered, hovering above her and restraining her hands._

Oh no_, she thought. _He's doing it again_. His hands gripped her wrists before they trailed down to her shoulders and to her bare chest. She crinkled her nose in disgust and tried to disassociate herself from the current scene, but she found herself frozen and her senses heightened. The pain between her legs intensified, she felt colder, and the sensation of his fingers over the goosebumps on her developed chest intensified. She started to sob and he used one of his hands to cover her mouth._

_"Now they heard you, stupid girl," he spat. "You know what happens."_

_She lifted her head up to see her father, her mother and her brother sitting in front of her mirror, their necks all snapped and their bodies covered in blood. Pryce, who was still hovering above her, flashed a sinister grin and started again, subjecting her to an even worse pain. His nails dug into her skin until she bled and his thrusts made her feel like she was giving birth. Her insides started to contract in order to keep him out, but it seemed more difficult by the second. She felt the blood flow increase. She felt another painful contraction..._

_..._"Ow!"

She woke up in her own room, her water broken and her body aching. Aerona let out a loud scream and woke up everyone in the house. She heard Macsen's footsteps pounding the stairs and waited until he would burst through the door. Surely enough, he did. The door slammed against the wall and he propped up Aerona while their parents contacted a doctor. Macsen rushed to their linen closet and grabbed several towels at one end of the bed before he rushed to Aerona's side, helping her rest there. During the short wait until the doctor's arrival, Macsen helped his younger sister, remove her clothes so she could give birth. Gwendolyn watched Aerona huffing as the contractions happened closer to one another. Finally, an older woman whom Aerona assumed to be the doctor came and set up her tools. She had Aerona lean in such a way that her hips were lower to the ground so she wouldn't have to fight gravity during the birthing process. The older woman, whom Aerona learned was named Eloise, instructed her to push the baby out and told her different breathing techniques to make it easier. At some point, Aerona screamed in pain and Eloise instructed her assistant (whom Aerona hadn't even noticed before) to administer a pain-relieving drug. She felt a needle poke her arm and a tiny vein fill with liquid that made it want to burst. The drug delivered quick relief, as her body ached less when she tried to push out the child. Eloise announced that she saw the head and helped Aerona birth the child. The sixteen year old saw the blood-covered babe and leaned back, relieved to know that the entire process was over. She fell asleep while Eloise removed the umbilical cord and her family helped clean her up. Aerona later assumed that Eloise bathed the baby, as when she woke up, she saw Gwendolyn hold the clothed child, wrapped in a blanket. The adolescent found herself wearing new clothes and in her bed again. The first one to come by her side was Macsen.

"Hey, Airie," he greeted with a whisper. "You finally woke up."

She nodded and he held her, prompting her to snuggle against the place where his shoulder met his neck. Macsen gripped her more tightly and kissed her forehead before her attention turned to a crying baby she recognized as her daughter.

"Do you want to see her?" he asked.

She shook her head, worrying that it looked too much like Pryce. The nightmare the night before was too much already. She was just glad to have expelled the parasite from her body after a long nine months.

"Well, you know Mother and Ismene spent two months on naming the child," Macsen said. "If it was a boy, they would have named it Broderick."

She chuckled. "And if it was a girl?"

His lips widened into a thin, ambivalent smile and his fingers combed her hair gently, sensing her tension. Aerona tried to look away from her mother, who was carrying the baby and being oddly caring. The adolescent was surprised by her mother's kind gestures toward the infant. She looked back at Macsen, who seemed anxious to tell her the name.

"Your daughter is named Rhosyn."

* * *

**Anyone recognize that last name? Anyone? ANYONE? If you do (from reading D&D), you earn this smile - :)**


	7. 7132 AD: Goodbye

A lot had happened two years after Rhosyn's birth. Ismene had to change guardians for some reason unknown to Aerona. The frizzy brunette had caught up with her schoolwork and was now ahead of most of the students at the school (which she was pulled out of permanently). Macsen had graduated and was now in control of a small portion of the several businesses the Argall family had claim to. He was making enough money to purchase his own estate and spent his time scouting several locations, favoring one home that overlooked a lake. Aerona noticed that Ismene and Macsen spent an unusual amount of time together and grew jealous. As a result, she refused to talk to the pair for some time and focused her attention to political affairs.

The protests of the poorer occurred surprisingly frequently until about the time Aerona had turned seventeen. She had woken up from a frightening nightmare about Rhosyn's conception and saw an alert from her net device, pouring through the information about "civilly disobedient events". Aerona had stayed up that night, making sure the volume was low enough so she wouldn't wake anyone, and watched a live stream video. The poor were simply protesting against abuses condoned by the powerful wealthy (and the government). At first, it was the normal routine: one fairly recognized person would be shouting through some tiny sound-amplifying device for the entire mob to hear, (s)he would turn on a net device to show the statistics of how many had joined their ranks and of the numerous wrongdoings of the upper-class. After that, the mob would circle around some government building or the home of some influential family (Aerona was surprised no one had yet threatened the Argalls with such a thing) and shout chants until someone would listen. After the mob would get too "uncivil for their own good", the law enforcement would coerce them into disbanding. Most of the time, half of the poor mob would disappear and the other half would protest a little more before being dragged away. That time had been different.

The authorities had come to frighten them into disbanding and the mob was about to walk away. Just then, the camera focused on a woman whom Aerona had recognized as Sandy-Jane (Pryce's now-stepmother). The woman saw that the enforcers had turned away for a split second and ran toward the building (which Aerona had recognized as the Birambaum house) at lightening speed. One uniformed man took notice and alerted his fellow enforcers while other members of the mob raced to the building gates, some successfully climbing over. The uniformed man pressed a button underneath his cap, muttering some words and other armed forces came out of the house. Sandy-Jane successfully broke into the home, throwing out luxury items Robin-Hood style, and Aerona watched as the forced opened fire on the masses. The camera zoomed in on a man that she knew as Ismene's brother getting brutally beaten. At that moment, she had broken into tears.

Ismene had been woken up by Aerona's crying and saw her dead brother. Soon after, the blonde girl attended his funeral and grieved for months. Aerona, meanwhile, took solace in alcoholic irish cream. She always managed to sneak a bit from her parents' liquor room when no one was home and hadn't got caught for six months. It was Macsen who found out.

She had been in her room, nearly bingeing on the beverage when Macsen barged in on her. He was frantically looking for something when he caught Aerona trying to get the last drops out of a nearly empty bottle, letting out a loud burp. When she saw him, she dropped the bottle, making a loud, crashing noise.

"Aerona, what in fucking hell!" he screeched.

"Oh," she replied, her speech slurred and interrupted with burps. "I was just AAHH-UUGGGKKH uhh getting me-self a drink. Shhhh, don't wake the baayyyyy-beeee. _UKH._"

Her vision had been blurry and she heard a loud wailing somewhere, which hurt her ears. She saw the blurry figure that resembled her brother leave the room and passed out drunk. She had woken up the next morning with her family picking out pieces of glass from her hair and her head in pain. Any high-pitched noise made her head throb and she covered her ears, moaning in protest. Ismene had picked out the last few pieces of glass and Aerona left to the bathroom to barf.

For several months, Aerona had attended rehabilitation meetings with Coralie and made slow progress, suffering from occasional relapses. Coralie guided her out of her destructive habit and Aerona remained sober for over half a year. Now that she spent time reflecting on it, she realized she hated the sight of alcohol, as it reminded her of the months that she had been an utter mess.

As for political affairs, some were still dismissing the protests of the poor. The more prudent had started to predict an outright civil war. The firings against the indignant mobs were more frequent during such gatherings and the masses had been scared off for a short period of time before the cycle continued. At some point, Aerona saw Sandy-Jane leading a large group around Uncle Sieffre's house. The camera zoomed in on a figure of a young man holding an expensive weapon and Aerona tried to make out the features of his visage. She saw the man's lips form a sadistic smile and shuddered at the sight of the psychopath.

Pryce saw Sandy-Jane approach him, hoping to talk peacefully with him. Some of her followers walked behind her, holding onto the hope that their leader would have some success in making their concerns clear. Aerona couldn't make out what she was saying to the man, but she realized it must have not been good, as she saw his face contort into an angry expression. He used the butt of the weapon to hit her face, disorienting her before he pointed the gun-like device at her and pressed a button. A stream of fire flew in her direction, licking her exposed flesh and dingy clothes. He fired a few shots at the masses before him and some of the others raced to him only to be set ablaze. Some protesters insisted on demanding his head, soon becoming part of the body-bonfire. Others, consumed with fear, fled for their lives. Aerona threw her device across the room and cried herself to sleep. She had unbearable nightmares about Pryce ever since that recent night.

Meanwhile, Macsen had proposed to Ismene, who squealed with excitement when she heard him ask for her hand in marriage. Aerona's brother finally bought the mansion with the lake and the couple moved in together. Rhosyn, who was now two years old, moved with them, which brought Aerona relief. During her worst moments, she had despised that child.

Sometime in later September, Macsen told Ismene he had some business to attend to in the District Union, so he left for what he claimed to be a few weeks. That night, Ismene contacted Aerona.

Aerona yawned as she answered the blonde girl's video request. "Hey, Izzy."

"Hi," Ismene responded. "How've you been?"

"Fine," Aerona replied, hearing Rhosyn's voice. The toddler had popped up on the screen, her blue eyes (with the little brown spot in the left iris) gazing at her biological mother curiously. Ismene told Rhosyn to clean up her toys in the other room and the young girl protested, but did so anyway.

"You've been reading about that whole rich vs. poor conflict, right?" Aerona asked, prompting a nod from her friend.

"To be honest," Ismene stated. "I'm quite scared. I feel like the mobs are going to target Macsen. Then there's, of course, my family back in Fort Hansfield."

"Have the higher-ups opened fire in that city?" Aerona asked.

"Not from what I've heard, but I don't doubt that it'll happen soon," Ismene replied. "My brother had participated in a protest happening in a neighboring town and he died. Remember?"

"It's been almost two years."

"_And?"_ Ismene retorted before sighing, looking away as she did so. "I plan on visiting them but I have no one to watch Rhosyn."

Aerona noticed that Ismene hadn't asked her to watch her illegitimate daughter. There was the chance that Ismene was expecting Aerona to offer. Even so, what would motivate the brunette to say yes to such a thing? Ismene stared blankly and Aerona decided that even if Ismene was implying it, Aerona would pretend not to detect it.

"You can call Coralie," Aerona suggested. "And you and I could visit your family."

Ismene's lips formed a gentle smile, which made Aerona feel oddly content. For the first time, the thought of Ismene's puppy dog eyes or her generally playfully and childish nature didn't annoy Aerona. The brunette started think of her mannerisms in a more affectionate way and she wanted to embrace her old friend for reasons she didn't understand. Aerona couldn't decide whether she was supportive or jealous of Ismene and Macsen's relationship. Frustrated with these thoughts, she pushed them aside and listened to Ismene.

"If not," Ismene replied. "I could ask Gwendolyn. Well, actually... yeah, I think Coralie won't mind. We'd be staying with my family for – what – a week? Leave tomorrow?"

Aerona nodded and they ended the conversation, both making arrangements. Aerona, knowing that Coralie was _absolutely_ going to agree to watch Rhosyn, started to pack for her trip. She grabbed a small suitcase and picked out more practical clothing, admiring each piece for its simplicity. The woman ran the fabric through her fingers before she placed it in her bag and finished packing. As she packed, she thought about the past two or three years. Where was Pryce now? Was he still concerned with her whereabouts? She hoped not and sighed, hoping for the best.

* * *

"Airie!" Ismene squealed.

Aerona was carrying her bag outside to Ismene's new vehicle and noticed that the blonde girl, despite not being one for fancy luxuries, looked more well-kept. She looked less stressed and her clothes didn't look dingy for once. Ismene held her arms wide open for Aerona, who accepted her embrace and they got inside the vehicle. Ismene pressed a few buttons before driving off with a smile.

"You learned to drive?" Aerona asked.

"Yeah," Ismene replied. "I don't have to worry about paying for food at school."

"You don't have to worry about school _at all._ You're married to my brother."

"That's not to say I won't find something to make credit off of. I have picked up a trade and _no_, it is not kissing men."

"Uh huh," Aerona teased. "You kiss women now."

They were driving out of Rockbourne and the two girls took a moment to look back at the numerous mansions perched on hills near a lake. The surrounding slum-like (according to Rockbourne standards) places seemed to cower before the grand quality of the massive estates and the nearby institutions. Unlike Ismene, Aerona lived her whole life here and spent any vacation time in other wealthy cities, so going somewhere like Fort Hansfield would feel very different from what she was used to. Ismene sensed Aerona's apprehension and her expression changed to a gentle smile.

"Ready to go, Airie?"

Aerona nodded and as they drove, Aerona paid attention to her surroundings, noticing that there were more trees. Out of her peripheral vision, she noticed Ismene take out Macsen's AMP. Ismene pressed a button and an all-too-familiar song played.

"Rhiannon," Aerona muttered. "That's the name of the song. Macsen and I used to joke that I would name my child after this."

"Rhiannon," Ismene replied. "That's a pretty name. Isn't it the name of a goddess or something?"

"Goddess of fertility and the moon, I think. I could be wrong," she sighed. "Have you ever wondered what it'd feel like to run away from everything?"

"All the time, Airie. I thought of giving up several times. Most people would tell you that what makes us human is the richness of our existence, in both pleasure and pain. I'm not sure why, but their answer is that it all makes life worth something," Ismene replied. "Then there are those that would give up both to make life easy."

Aerona remembered what they had all been told in their youth. Some thousands of years ago, there was some sort of war and as a result, there formed two groups: one that wanted to preserve the rich human nature they were endowed with and those that wanted to be rid of it in order to form a utopian society free of pain. A treaty was written, the Sameness Communities were formed and they adapted an isolationist policy. The fragile existence of those Community Clusters were protected by the surrounding Unions. There was one Cluster surrounded by the North, East, West and Southern Provinces of the Union Aerona had lived in. No one outside could go in the Cluster, no one from the Cluster could go out into the Union. It was made clear in the ancient treaty. There were some nightmarish regimes that have challenged the rule, but they were quickly stopped by the more benevolent Unions. Those in the Clusters had no awareness of the outside world and those privileged with the rich existence the Unions had to offer looked down on the Clusterites. Aerona remembered when she and Macsen were young children. Macsen once convinced her that the Clusterites didn't have many mirrors where they lived because their reflection wouldn't show up anyway, due to having sold their emotions (and therefore, their souls). She chuckled at the thought, remembering that in her youth, the lives of the Clusterites soon became a subject of fascination and mystery. How would it feel like to be completely emotionless, with no knowledge of the outside world, with its complex history and the thrilling facets of the natural human condition? Now that she was older (and no longer so naive), she could understand why someone would want to give that up. Yet, at the same time, she somewhat understood why people would go through so much pain to protect the beliefs they held so dearly. She turned to Ismene.

"Remember what we heard about the Clusterites when we were little?"

Ismene chuckled. "I remember we always used to refer to them with some derogatory term. What was it? Robots?"

"Yup. Robots. I wonder what they would call us if they ever knew us."

"Hmm," Ismene thought for a moment. "Well, we 'feelies' _do_ engage in rather 'base' things found in human nature. I guess they would call us animals."_  
_

"Do you ever wonder what it's like to go into those Clusters?"

"Not really. We were told that the Clusterites were unfeeling. They were like ants. No free will."

"I'm convinced that some of that is propaganda," Aerona admitted. "It reminds me of those history lessons when we learned about ancient conflicts between capitalists and communists. There's no way to find out the truth unless we go in."

Ismene pressed the brake, causing them to jerk forward. Their restraints pulled them back to their seats and Ismene gazed at Aerona with a shocked expression.

"Go in the Cluster? Are you crazy?" Ismene asked. "You're violating a five-thousand-year-old contract! Do you think the Clusterites will react well to a Feelie?"

"It was just a thought," Aerona replied, realizing that the thought would haunt her for the entire time she would be staying in Fort Hansfield.

* * *

"Hello, Mother!" Ismene greeted when she arrived, her arms wide open for an embrace.

Aerona took her bag out of the vehicle and remained by Ismene's side until the blonde was done greeting her mother, whom she closely resembled.

"Ooooh, I missed you Ismene," the older blonde woman whimpered. "Aerona, you've grown so much."

"It's been a long time, Svetlana," Aerona said. "How's the family?"

"Oh, well, there's a lot to tell. Come inside, come inside, you probably have a lot to tell us too!"

Svetlana invited Ismene and Aerona into her relatively small home, which was kept warm with an old heating system from the last century. Aerona could hear the noisy footsteps of Ismene's numerous younger siblings and the voice of Ismene's father. She could tell that Ismene felt right at home here. Aerona, however, felt like a complete stranger to this cramped setting. Still, she didn't regret coming to visit her friend's family.

"Your brothers and sisters are growing up, Ismene," Aerona mentioned, adjusting her suitcase.

Svetlana took notice of this and called down a twelve year old girl, who was wearing one of Ismene's hand-me-downs. Her hair was organized into a braid and she kept her feet covered with thin socks that Svetlana must have sewed herself. The young girl's chest was relatively developed for her age and Aerona thought that Ismene's younger sister must have already had her period. She could see that the twelve year old was proud of her changing body.

"What did you need me for, Mother?" asked the young girl. "And who is she?"

"My name is Aerona Meita-Gwendolyn Argall. Your sister and I attended the same school."

"The mobs have yet to protest against your family," the girl spoke cruelly.

"They went against my asshole-of-a-cousin, that's for sure."

Svetlana became tense and cut the conversation short, giving Aerona's suitcase to her young daughter. The child admired the relatively fancy suitcase, revealing her temptation to open the latches and see what was inside. Aerona remembered when Ismene reacted that way to her belongings and saw the younger sister react with surprise when she saw how well-kept Ismene was. Ismene patted her younger sister on the head affectionately.

Svetlana spoke. "You have yet to introduce yourself to Aerona, child."

"Child?" the girl protested. "You've told me several times that I am becoming a young woman!"

Ismene chuckled at her sister's protests. "Just listen to Mother."

The young girl stood up, put down the suitcase and took a deep breath, as if everything about this meeting was bothering her. She held her hands behind her back and bowed slightly in reverence to the wealthier brunette. Her eyes were cast downward as she made the slight bow and she raised her head, not looking directly in Aerona's eyes.

"Nessa Meita-Svetlana Izbavitelov."

"Carry her suitcase to the empty room, Nessa," Svetlana ordered.

Nessa hauled the bag to an adjacent room and Svetlana told Ismene and Aerona to take a seat near their simple wooden table. The girls sat down and Svetlana prepared warm tea for the pair, cleaning off various surfaces as she did so. Aerona chuckled at Svetlana for being so meticulous about her surroundings, thinking of how her own mother, Gwendolyn, would simply hire servants to do such work. Svetlana, despite whatever stress she had to deal with, looked quite young to be a mother. After cleaning here and there, Svetlana took a seat beside the pair with a smile.

"We have much catching up to do," Svetlana stated, giving the girls their tea. "You know how hard it is for us to afford the net devices. We had to sell ours a few months ago."

"Your children have gotten so big, Svetlana. It's been years since we last saw each other. I don't think your youngest three children were even born yet."

"They're demons, Aerona, trust me," Ismene chuckled. "Nessa's the nice one."

Svetlana gazed in Nessa's direction, noticing that the girl secluded herself from her three younger siblings and was working on a new scarf for herself. Aerona saw how deft Nessa's fingers were with the multiple needles in her hand and heard Svetlana's voice again, which much have been out of earshot for Nessa.

"Nessa hasn't been the same since Christopher died."

_Christopher_, Aerona remembered. _He was the one that got killed in the protest_.

"It's been over a year," Svetlana continued. "Well, onto more lighthearted subjects, I know you've gotten married, Ismene."

Ismene beamed, running her fingers over the multiple rings on her left hand. Aerona could see that Ismene was still in her honeymoon phase and sighed. She didn't think she could ever be happy with a man, especially after what Pryce did to her. It was still difficult to tolerate the touch of another male, with the exception of her brother, so she couldn't imagine getting married only to reject her husband. Sometimes she wondered how Ismene could be so connected to Macsen.

"To my brother," Aerona stated. "They're living on his new property. Don't worry though, she's not entirely dependent on him."

"So you've picked up a trade?" Svetlana asked Ismene.

"Yes. It's an independently owned shop that sells little knick-knacks and stuff. Macsen sometimes helps me with the finances."

Aerona took another sip of her tea, listening to the footsteps of Ismene's three youngest siblings. Although she never really met them, she knew that two of them were opposite sex twins and the youngest was a hemophiliac. When she first heard of the youngest child, she had a feeling that he wouldn't live long. Now that Ismene had run into some money, her family could likely afford proper medical care for the boy.

The male twin, about ten years old, ran out of a room with a toy and tripped over Nessa's foot. Nessa reluctantly helped the twin boy up and went back to finishing her scarf while the younger child kept running around with his little object. His twin sister followed him, laughing as the boy changed directions and chased after her. The girl tripped at some point, chuckling as she did so, and her brother gently helped her up. Aerona smiled at the image, thinking of her childhood with Macsen.

Both children saw Aerona, likely focusing their attention on her relatively luxurious clothing and stood before her, side by side. Aerona saw that the twins' hair was slightly darker than Ismene's and Nessa's and their eyes were a hazel color. The girl's head leaned slightly on the boy's arm and the boy made a noise in his throat, indicating that she should stand up completely straight.

The boy spoke with a surprisingly smooth voice and bowed slightly. "Caedmon Dels-Benjamin Izbavitelov."

Caedmon's sister, who nervously twirled with her thin hair braids and the hem of her skirt, did the same bow that her brother did and introduced herself.

"Lily-Mei."

Aerona smiled and stuck out her hand for a more informal greeting. Both twins gave her a confused expression, but accepted the gesture anyway, thankful for the recognition of equality. Aerona knew most of the wealthy didn't use such gestures with the poor, so when she did this in front of those in her class, she often received odd looks. At this point, she didn't care.

"Aerona Meita-Gwendolyn Argall."

The twins went back to their business and Aerona got up to see the room she would be staying in. There were two medium sized beds and a small dresser resting beside a wooden table. She noticed that the floor creaked and that there was a crack in the window fixed by some cheap adhesive. There was less space for walking and the beds featured homemade quilts and blankets, giving the room a cozy feeling. Aerona heard Ismene walk in behind her.

"Christopher and I used to share this room before I moved in with my old guardian."

Ismene organized her belongings and took off her coat, hanging it up on the wall while Aerona sat on the bed, thinking of the Community Clusters that she was forbidden from. How did they live a life without pain? Surely there had to be _some_ conflict. How did they organize families? What facilities did they have? Were the original founders of the Communities Without Pain successful in ridding their cities of human perversion? She wondered what each person had to give up in order to live in this fabled utopia. Whatever it was, it certainly had to be somewhat better than the Union she lived in, with its class distinctions, hardship, and predicted war. If this utopia were real, then things like slavery, prostitution, abuse, poverty and general pain were unheard of. Now that she thought about it, who wouldn't want to live without that? She knew this town's proximity to the geographical barrier surrounding the cities and wondered if it was heavily guarded. Aerona doubted it.

After spending a few days there, Aerona learned that since Benjamin (the father of the children) died and Ismene left to attend school in Rockbourne, both Svetlana and Christopher had to find work. Christopher left Fort Hansfield for a higher-paying menial job in Rockbourne and Svetlana stayed behind, getting meager earnings to feed her family. Christopher sent money to his family until he participated in protests and died. After that, Nessa kept more to herself, learning more about the domestic work she would have to take over once Svetlana becomes too old. Caedmon, Lily-Mei and the five year old hemophiliac boy that Aerona kept forgetting the name of never knew Christopher well, so they didn't mourn like Nessa did. She knew that the hemophiliac usually followed around Nessa for protection against the ten year old twins, who never really learned the meaning of "gentle". Nessa often reminded them not to harm the youngest son, as he doesn't heal the same way as others and the family couldn't afford medical care. Caedmon would retort that Ismene had money now, so their financial problems would be taken care of. Nessa would snort in response, saying that it was no guarantee, and return to her domestic duties.

During the middle of the week, Aerona checked her public net device for more news on the protests. Somewhere in the article that she was reading, she learned that Pryce was now actively fighting against the mobs, helping the authorities arrest those that were "civilly disobedient", and that a protest was happening around her home. Gwendolyn and Caerwyn were trapped inside and Pryce took to intimidating the horde of plebeians. The camera zoomed in on Pryce's face and Aerona shuddered, reliving the memory of Rhosyn's conception.

After her short episode, she read the rest of the article and learned that the authorities were beginning to militarize in every city and some predicted that this trend would lead to war in the entire Province Union. As of late, the surrounding Unions were dealing with their own financial troubles and thus refusing to take any refugees. She tried to imagine what life would be like if this issue escalated into a civil war. As these thoughts tormented her, she couldn't stop thinking about the fabled utopian communities. It was clear that no one would be safe here. There was only one option.

* * *

It was three o'clock in the morning. Ismene was sound asleep in the bed next to her and the four younger siblings were in an adjacent room. Svetlana slept on a cot in the basement, so Aerona didn't need to worry about waking her up. Yesterday, she spent a lot of money on food and hid it from the rest of the family (which was quite difficult). She checked out maps of the area around her, noticing that the center of the Province Union (a.k.a. the Cluster) was largely uncharted, and decided that she would go to the edge of town and penetrate to geo-barrier. Once she organized her things, she decided to write a note to Ismene. She checked her bags for a piece of paper and wrote.

"Ismene,

By the time you read this, I will be gone. I don't want you to look for me or anything and I don't want you to be worried about me. I have to leave the Province Union for reasons I will not disclose. Don't think that because I left without you that I don't care about you. We have been friends for a long time and I want you to know that I may not see you again. Whatever credit is left in my account shall go to your family here in Fort Hansfield so they can be financially secure. Take good care of my brother and daughter. I love you.

Aerona"

She got up and left it on the table, placing it underneath a candle holder. Aerona held the bag tightly in her arms and crept out of the house, closing the door behind her. She glanced at the house, whispered goodbye, and ran off to the edge of town.

Aerona saw some government officials walking around in the town square, admiring some confiscated weapons they found. She wondered if any of the weapons would be useful on her journey. What would she find in the geo-barrier? Perhaps a predator? She decided that a weapon and a lighter (for fires) would be useful, so she hid behind a trash barrel until the officials weren't looking. The authorities decided to go into a bar to take a break from their duties and Aerona sprinted to the gun stash, taking a relatively small shotgun, the bullets that went with it and a small lighter before she ran to the edge of town, where she came across a relatively big, empty house and a hill.

It was still only September, which meant that it would still be somewhat warm during her journey. Aerona wondered at what point would this hill be covered in snow and children riding on sleds. She climbed up it and trotted down, seeing that there were several more hills to climb in the distance. Aerona didn't see this as a problem, so she kept going up and down the hills for hours until she finally fell asleep, far away from Fort Hansfield.

* * *

**I think this is the longest chapter in this story so far. So Aerona is finally leaving Elsewhere for the Communities (sorry for taunting you with the previous six chapters). Anyone remember any details about this from D&D? Leave a review. Pretty please? I'll have a chapter or two about Aerona going through the MYSTERIOUS WOODS that Jonas had to go through (years and YEARS later). Any tips for said chapters? Please? **

**I'll include references to characters in D&D, so leave a review saying which characters you would want to see more of. :)**


	8. 7132 AD: The Trip

After hours of walking up and down hills, hoping that Ismene found the note and understood everything, Aerona decided that she should rest for some time. She climbed up and down one more hill before she came across a thin stream and sat down, admiring the little fish swimming around. Aerona poked her finger in the water, watching them swim away from the invasion, and withdrew, watching the ripples that resulted. Her reflection was blurred and she realized she was getting quite tired, so she scouted for a place to sleep. After getting comfortable, she dozed off, dreaming no dreams.

It was the same routine for a week. She would keep walking eastward (which she could figure out by the location of the sun) until she got tired and would eat a little bit of food from her bag. Aerona would count her rations and think of her family, wondering what the affairs of the Union were like now, and look at the serene view that surrounded her. The peaceful nature of this place made her think of Ismene, who would have loved to be here right now. She started to miss her dearly and almost cried.

Occasionally, she would have nightmares about Pryce, but they were becoming less frequent. Every time she walked during the day, she was paranoid that some authority would find her and bring her back to the Union only for Pryce to see her and use her again. She started to wonder if Pryce would ever go after Rhosyn.

In the middle of that week, she came across a cliff that led to a waterfall and sat down, admiring the scenery. Aerona kept on the lookout for any predatory creatures that would hunt her and kept her gun close by. She took out a piece of food, rationing her supplies, and ran her fingers over the weapon. She wished she had a camera and a public net device so she could take a picture of the view and send it to Ismene. The blonde girl would have adored this so much. Aerona thought about Ismene caring for her younger siblings and hoped that the hemophiliac boy could get proper care. What was his name? Ronald? Something like that.

She got up and kept walking east into the thick woods, following the path of the river. Sometimes, she would dip her toes in as she walked, but most of the time, she kept her shoes on. The ground was relatively soft and the air smelt very clean compared to home. Unlike the air, however, Aerona was filthy.

Aerona found a clearing near the river and left her stuff there, keeping an eye on it as she undressed and bathed. Her hair felt more tangled than ever, but she didn't care. There was no one that would dare come out here, so she didn't have to worry about impressing anyone.

Only when she had to come out did she realize she was cold. She decided to stand in the clearing, where the sun gave her all of its warmth, and she dried off and put her clothes back on. She picked up her belongings and continued east.

Days melted into each other and Aerona could no longer remember how long she had been gone. All she knew was that the trip to see Ismene's family felt like an eternity ago. How many weeks could it have been? She didn't know. Aerona evaluated what she knew about her current state: she was far from her family, friends and enemies, she was in the middle of a dense forest where the river was turning into nothing but a soft stream, and there had yet to be a predator. Why there seemed to be few carnivorous animals here, she couldn't understand.

She was hardly awake when she heard a noise in the distance. At first, she was tempted to go back to sleep. The noise came again and she jumped to her feet, trying to detect where it came from. It seemed to originate somewhere westward. Not wanting to know what it was, she ran east, occasionally looking behind her to see if that _thing_ followed her. Aerona almost ran into a tree when she ran out of breath. Her hands brushed the tough bark and she turned her head slowly, seeing nothing that was potentially dangerous, and continued walking.

There was a soft breeze that made Aerona have goosebumps and she occasionally turned her head to observe the rustling leaves on the branches above her. The stream to her side made soft noises that competed with the sound of her footsteps. Otherwise, there wasn't much to distract her from walking eastward. She knew the distance from the part of the Eastern Province closest to the geo-barrier was from the part of the Western Province fitting the same description and made a guess as to how far Fort Hansfield was from the Communities, so it wasn't like she was afraid of running out of food. As for weather, she wouldn't have to worry for the later part of her journey, as she had heard that the region had controlled climate. However, she did worry that something was going to hunt her, so she kept the gun close by her side, her thumb running over the smooth metal. Her index finger slightly tapped the trigger and she let that finger droop, the gun spinning slightly in her hand. Her eyes scanned from left to right and she never lost sight of where east was.

She couldn't afford to.

After some time, she sat down someplace where the woods were less dense. She ate something that she hoped hadn't expired and saw a thin snake slither near the stream. A small mouse scurried nearby and the snake poised itself, its black beady eyes focused on the small rodent. Aerona heard the mouse squeak and the snake leaped at it so it could dig its sharp fangs into its prey. Aerona watched with fascination and witnessed the snake swallow the rodent whole. The meal made portions of the snake's body swell as it traveled down to the stomach. The snake slithered away into a hole near a tree and Aerona kept walking.

Aerona guessed that she had been gone for three weeks, but it felt more like a month. The woods were getting less dense and the terrain was becoming more flat, giving the brunette the impression that she was getting closer to the Communities she heard about as a child. She started to wonder what their customs were like, what they understood and how they would react to a newcomer. This last thought somewhat frightened her. What if these people were hostile? It made her think of a few failed communist countries she read about in her schoolwork. Wasn't the idea of the Communities and those ancient nations similar? To give up some for the common good? She wondered how they rid themselves of human perversion in order to make it work. Aerona sighed as she walked. _I guess I have to find out for myself._

If she could reside in the Communities until whatever conflict going on in the Province Union was over, she could go back and record everything she saw there. She could dispel myths that have existed for millennia. The eighteen year old smiled at the thought as she took a small container of preserved fruit, dipping her finger in the food. Aerona finished half of the jar and almost skipped her way before she tired out and set up camp. She set up a small fire to keep warm, as was routine. She fell asleep.

* * *

_Aerona was in the dark, running from something. The air around her felt unbearably cold and she felt naked in the darkness. She turned behind her and saw nothing, so she turned back forward and the image became less dim. The growing light revealed canvases filled with moving faces of naked mothers screaming. One girl tore at the wall between her and the three dimensional world unsuccessfully. Another canvas featured a crying baby searching for its trapped mother and Aerona found the noise unbearable. She covered her ears, yet the cry was still deafening. _

_Right in front of her, the painting Pryce made on her sixteenth birthday stood tall and the two-dimensional girl seemed to squirm in pain. Aerona put her fingers up to the painting, watching the innocent girl on the canvas wither away, and she found herself sixteen again. Her clothes were gone and she was in a well-lit studio filled with paintings. Pryce was editing the work he intended to give her as a present. His menacing features seem to fade away and Pryce took on a gentler demeanor, his eyes expressing curiosity instead of lust when he peeked at her bare form. Pryce gave a sweet smile and made the finishing touches to the piece. He stood up._

_"All done," he spoke softly as he walked over to her._

_Aerona found herself unable to move and his expression became menacing again. Her wrists felt like they were being restricted by what seemed to be a combination of vines and rope. The same mysterious thing wrapped itself around her ankles as Pryce towered over her. Aerona saw only darkness again, which heightened her ability to hear and feel. His rough hands slid all over her body and she felt something wet on her neck and on her thighs. A familiar pain built up inside the lower half of her body and something covered her mouth. She recognized it as Pryce's hand and started to whimper._

_"Shhhh," he cooed. "Don't wake anyone. If you do, I'll kill you and your entire damn family."_

Aerona woke up with a scream and the dirt around her gave evidence to her kicking in her sleep. Her shoes had splinters in them and she got up to pick them out, becoming irritable when one splinter was especially tricky. She groaned until that last splinter came out and looked around her, grabbing her gun tightly. A heavy footstep alarmed her and she spun around, the gun cocked and ready, yet still shaking in her small hands. Her heart started to beat quickly and her sight inexplicably became keener. She stepped backward just a little as a large bear stepped forward, looking curiously at the silver weapon in Aerona's hands. Her body became sweaty and she tried to figure out the bear's intentions. _Surely the bear had never seen a gun before_, she thought. _It wouldn't feel threatened, would it? _

The bear let out a low growl and Aerona struggled to remember what to do in the event of a bear sighting. The girl hardly ever went camping, so she never felt the need to employ tactics in the past, but she remembered reading a little bit about bears out of curiosity.

_Never let a bear approach you. Make loud noises to scare it off._

She pointed the gun up toward the sky, so as not to harm the bear, and fired a shot. The gun bucked in her arms and the bear jumped back, letting out a fearful yelp. Aerona fired again, pointing more closely at the bear, yet purposefully missing it, and the bear fled the scene. She fixed her gun and turned back eastward, continuing that way for another three days.

* * *

The forest ended and Aerona saw a huge valley-like place. There were fields of plants that Aerona couldn't identify that seemed to go on past the horizon. She looked behind her, staring at the wilderness that was her past, and looked ahead again. The terrain was completely flat, the air was nice and warm, and the environment seemed unchanging. She continued forward.

The stretch was shorter than she thought. She soon encountered several people working the fields, most of them wearing a tunic with a stripe on their sleeve. Most of them looked alike with their brown hair and brown eyes. Their skin was fair, yet it didn't burn under the sun. It seemed as if the sun was nonexistent to them and the existence of light was something to be taken for granted, never to have its source questioned. She walked toward one of the fields, making sure not to disturb the workers. They seemed like ants laboring to serve their queen. Whoever this mysterious queen was, Aerona had yet to learn.

She overheard who she assumed to be a supervisor of some sort call to the laborers and they all walked toward partially concealed vehicles. Aerona hid herself a little as she watched the workers huddle toward the buses, excited to end their hours in the fields. One by one, they entered their buses until there were only a few were standing outside one. Aerona saw a woman about her age wait until those before her got in and stepped forward a little before she slipped. The curly haired girl let out a yelp as she slipped, quickly covering her mouth, but it was too late.

The woman saw her.

* * *

**So, what did you think? I decided to make this part short and the journey less treacherous because Aerona is going from a less-controlled area (which, climate wise, is bearable enough, as it is fall) to a more-controlled area (thus, easier to travel in). It took Jonas, what? A couple of weeks, tops? He left two weeks before the Ceremony and made it by Christmas (the section of the book wasn't long enough to be a year). **

**So Aerona is finally at the edge of the Sameness Community Place thingie... Any criticisms? Please? BTW, Aerona's journey was about four weeks.**


	9. 7132 AD: Found

The woman approached Aerona in a skittish manner, yet her dark eyes portrayed curiosity. Aerona slowly came out of her hiding place and watched the woman walk up to her, slightly skeptical of her intentions. Someone came off of the bus and called a number, which the woman responded to as if it were her name, and the other person asked why she wasn't on the bus. The woman looked back at Aerona and the other woman saying the number saw what the first one had stayed behind for. Both women were gazing at the eighteen-year-old. The closer one of the two gestured to the other one and soon enough, both were standing right in front of her. Aerona saw that the one who had called the other's number was in her thirties. Their identification tags had numbers only.

"Who are you?" the younger one asked skeptically. "And what community did you come from? I never saw people with clothes like that."

"Olive!" the other one scorned. "You know better than to be so rude."

"I apologize, Edna," Olive sighed, looking down.

Aerona was surprised by Edna's comment. Had she been in Olive's place (not that she fully understood the circumstances), she would have asked the same thing. Edna gave a stern look to Olive and huffed through her nose. Her raised eyebrows gave Olive the subtle instruction to do something that Aerona hadn't predicted.

"I apologize for being so rude to you," Olive said to Aerona with a slightly hushed voice. "What is your name?"

"Aerona," the eighteen-year-old spoke, sticking out her hand for the informal gesture she often used.

Edna and Olive gave each other confused looks as Aerona kept holding her hand out. Her arm started to feel heavy as she waited for them to return the gesture and she pulled it back, slowly figuring out that handshakes must not have been commonplace here. She laughed to herself internally. Why would she automatically assume that everyone used a handshake?

"Olive," Edna spoke. "We have to return to the buses."

"Where are the buses going?" Aerona asked.

Edna turned to Aerona while Olive remained behind her, giving Aerona the hint that Edna had power over Olive. However, she wasn't sure if her assumptions were correct.

Edna spoke. "To our communities. Our bus is headed to Hurupolis."

Edna paused as if she was contemplating something and then spoke again. "I suppose you want to return to your bus, back to your community, wherever you're from."

"Well, I, uhh," Aerona stuttered. "It's just, umm..."

Olive and Edna were both about to leave when they heard Aerona's uncertain voice and turned around only partially. Edna kept one eye on the bus and Olive only gazed at Aerona. The foreigner felt awkward in this situation, yet she knew she couldn't be left in the fields alone. This was her opportunity to get into the communities. She had spent several weeks trekking through the geographical barrier, hadn't she? Aerona _had_ to know what this place was like.

"I ran away from my former home. It's – it's not one of the communities. It's in the," Aerona tried to explain before she stopped herself. Did the Clusterites know anything about what lay beyond the geographical barrier? She sighed, trying to think of a way to explain this to someone who wouldn't even conceive the idea of there being something beyond their own world.

She continued. "I lived elsewhere."

Expressions of shock and confusion displayed themselves on the visages of the two women before her and they whispered to themselves so Aerona couldn't hear. She cocked her head a bit, tried to figure out what they were saying, but they stopped whispering before she could even pick up a single word. They turned around.

"We've never had anyone from Elsewhere," Olive started. "We'd have to bring you to the Elders in our community. Normally, Elders don't face decisions like this."

Edna cut her off. "The Receiver should know what to do. He lives in our community. You can ride the bus with us, unless of course you have other means of transportation."

The Elders? Aerona guessed that was part of their government or something. She almost chuckled when she heard "elders", mostly because it made her think of ancient tribes with multiple gods. If their government had never faced a foreigner, how would they know whether or not she was a threat? What made these two girls friendly rather than hostile? It didn't really make sense to her.

Edna mentioned a "Receiver" and Aerona had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. The Receiver? The Receiver of _WHAT? _This sounded utterly ridiculous. Was there really only _one_ person that knew what to do in the situation of a foreigner coming to their land? She paused her thoughts for a moment as she considered the women's offer. If she was going to find out what this "Receiver" is, she might as well take it._  
_

"Okay, I'll go."

* * *

Aerona sat next to Olive and Edna was in the seat across from them. The roads were surprisingly smooth. Before she boarded the bus, she contemplated on whether or not to take her gun with her. If she took it, people would think she was a threat and try to kill her. If she didn't and these people were hostile anyway, she would have no form of defense. When she considered the options and evaluated Olive and Edna, she left the gun behind in the field, hoping no one would find it and trace it back to her.

Her bag was on her lap and there wasn't much food left. Olive was looking at the bag and Aerona guessed that Olive wanted to know about it, but didn't want to be reprimanded by Edna. Aerona looked at the stripe on one of the sleeves, wondering what it was for. She decided to ask only some of those millions of questions she had ever since she got on the bus.

"So, how does it work?" she asked. "Do you always labor in the fields before you go back home?"

Olive chuckled. "No. All of us on this bus are on probation periods because we all committed one major infraction within the last month or two. That was government mandated labor. That's why we have these stripes on our arms."

"What about your jobs?"

"We get a temporary leave from them," Olive explained. "Edna has to do food-production related labor anyway, but her normal work isn't so difficult."

"What's your job?" Aerona asked.

"I'm a swimming instructor," Olive answered. "Would you be offended if I asked you something?"

"No, not particularly, why?"

Olive shifted in her seat, thinking about what she wanted to say. Aerona paid particular attention to her mannerisms, which seemed almost identical to Edna's and to everyone else's on the bus. Somehow, Olive seemed gentler and more naive than the others. It reminded her of Ismene, despite how vastly different their lives must have been. Ismene likely will go through more trauma than Olive ever will.

"Why did you leave Elsewhere?"

Aerona looked at her. Her eyes were somehow empty and full simultaneously. They were full in the sense that one could easily see the curiosity in them, in fact, one would say it was identical to the curiosity of a young child hearing an ancient tale or of a playful kitten seeing a tunnel, itching to explore it. They were empty, however, in the sense that they were devoid of something that Aerona's homeland was so rich of. Aerona couldn't put her finger on it. The frizzy-haired brunette compared Olive's eyes to Ismene's. Sure, they were both strangely cheerful but Ismene's eyes portrayed more... understanding. _Yes_, Aerona thought. _Understanding and history and complexity and love. _The woman thought this over, wondering if Olive was truly devoid of that, and sighed. Olive seemed to detect her strange feelings and appeared confused.

"Things were getting... difficult. I had a bad past and I heard things were better here," Aerona explained.

Olive looked as if she was about to ask another question, but shut her lips and looked somewhere else. Aerona then looked at Edna, who had a downcast expression and a nervous habit of picking at her nails. She looked at the other punished laborers, who were also looking down at the bus floor, and wondered what each of them did that was worthy of punishment.

Aerona could see that Olive was itching to ask her several questions, but she guessed that they were questions that Aerona wasn't willing to answer, so she didn't encourage it. The drive was somewhat long, but it didn't feel interminable. Aerona passed the time by looking out the window. She saw more fields worked by what she assumed were normal laborers (as opposed to punished) and later saw a small airport with cargo planes and sleek jets. Outside, uniformed workers were loading supplies from a cargo plane to a large van, which drove in another direction. Aerona assumed that the van would go to one of the communities.

The fields that Aerona had passed were becoming more varied in terms of what was being grown. The ones farther away from where they were driving had cotton and basic food crops. The farther they drove, the more Aerona saw. Some fields grew fruit, some grew boring vegetables that her own mother forced her to eat as a child, and one field even had pumpkins. Aerona admired them all, as she hadn't often seen so many fields.

Aerona looked ahead and saw that the bus was nearing a community, noticing that most of the buildings were nearly identical. The bus went over a long bridge into the community and Aerona noticed that everyone was almost dressed alike. Everyone wore tunics (albeit without the strap) and pants. The men (and some boys) had their hair cut short, leaving their ears exposed. The women (and some girls) wore their hair slightly longer, but not beyond the middle of their necks. Everyone rode around on bicycles and Aerona tried to remember the last time she rode one recreationally. How old was she then? Twelve? She shrugged as she took in more of her new surroundings.

The bus stopped near a large building and Aerona read the words. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. A supervisor called for everyone to get off the bus and Aerona watched Edna point to her and speak to the supervisor, who was nodding. Aerona guessed that Edna was explaining her current situation as she got up and exited the bus.

As soon as she got out of the bus, everyone within a close vicinity stared at her and Aerona realized how filthy she must have looked in her seemingly strange clothing. With her curly hair and blue eyes that featured a dark spot in the left iris, she must have attracted quite a bit of attention. An older woman came out of the Department of Justice building and stared at Aerona skeptically before addressing the labor supervisor.

"Steve! Who is this woman?" she asked.

"She was seen by the far fields where the punished were laboring today, Judge Paula," Steve the Supervisor answered. "Edna and Olive found her. They claim she is from Elsewhere and suggested bringing her here for the Receiver."

"Excuse me," Aerona interrupted. "But if you really wanted to know of my identity, you _could_ have just asked me directly."

"Well," Paula replied. "I'll excuse the rudeness. What is your name?"

"Aerona," she answered. "Now, if you don't mind, can you tell me what a Receiver is? I keep hearing it mentioned but no one has bothered to explain it to me."

Paula raised an eyebrow and shrugged, motioning to Aerona. Steve left to watch those on probation, making sure they each got to where they needed to go. Aerona watched them disperse, some of them going into the Department of Justice and others going somewhere else. People kept their gaze on her for a short while before returning to their business and Aerona looked straight at Paula.

"He is one of the Elders in our community," Paula answered. "I will introduce you to them. They are in this very building, actually. I'll bring you to them."

Paula led Aerona inside the Department of Justice, going down a long hallway lined with several doors before she knocked on one. Paula looked back at Aerona, who must have smelled pretty bad, and back at the plain door before Aerona heard the doorknob turn. An even older looking man greeted Paula, who motioned to Aerona. The old man looked at her skeptically before Paula explained the situation.

"A few punished laborers found her in the fields while under the supervision of Steve. They brought her back here in hopes that the Receiver could address the issue."

The old man opened the door widely, allowing the pair to enter. Aerona examined the room and saw a round table where some number of older-looking people sat down, looking over what appeared to be records. A panel with several buttons stood out next to a speaker on the wall and Aerona noticed a few computers and file cabinets organized neatly on one side of the room. Slowly, the other elders took notice of Aerona and stood up, all gazing with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. It made her strangely uncomfortable.

"What is your name, newcomer?" the old man asked.

"Aerona," she spoke quietly.

"Ah, I see," said the old man. "My name is Matthias. I am the Chief Elder. Please, sit."

Aerona took a seat at the large round table and Paula was excused from the room, leaving only these strange Elders to watch over the foreigner. She counted them and figured that there were ten, five women and five men. She scanned the room, wondering which one was the mysterious Receiver she kept hearing about. None of them looked particularly higher than the rest, so she assumed that the Receiver wasn't present at the moment. When she looked at each of the Elders, she noticed they were all wearing white robes, as opposed to the rest of the citizens, who wore gray tunics. In front of each Elder was a nameplate and on each white robe was an identification tag. She read the nameplates. _Males: Matthias, Vasilii, Edmund, Klaus, Boaz. Females: Maeve, Wilhemine, Siobhan, Selene, Fawn. _Aerona gazed closely at the appearance of each Elder, noticing that Maeve looked the youngest (in her early sixties). She thought they had somewhat odd names, except for Siobhan. Aerona almost chuckled at the thought of their name-tags. _At least it saves them the trouble of introducing themselves. _

"I understand, from what Paula told me, that you must be from what we know as Elsewhere," Matthias started.

"Elsewhere," murmured Boaz.

Siobhan spoke. "What is your name and age?"

"My name is Aerona. I'm eighteen," she answered. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but which one of you Elders is the Receiver? I keep hearing about this Receiver person and that he or she is the only one who knows what to do with me."

"Ah! The Receiver!" Wilhemine spoke up. "He is not present at the moment. I will tell you that he is the most important Elder out of all of us."

Edmund added to her explanation. "He aids us when we fail to come to a decision on a highly important matter."

"So my being here is somehow imperative to you?" Aerona asked skeptically.

They all looked stumped, somehow, and Aerona started to wonder how competent these Elders were. Some of the Elders had set their files aside by this point and the others occasionally glanced at them before looking at Aerona again. Matthias spoke for them.

"It is a matter of great mystery, as you can understand. You see, not once in our history has someone from Elsewhere traveled to the communities. What lies out there is still unknown to us. Most of the community citizens don't even consider its existence, only that it's where Released people go once they complete their lives here. Such an event requires the advice of the Receiver. Only he has the experience that would help us decide what to do in such a situation."

"Well?" Aerona asked, crossing her arms. "Where is this Receiver?"

"He lives in a private Annex behind the House of the Old," Matthias said, giving Aerona the impression that the Receiver was elderly. "The Receiver works alone and only comes here when his presence is required."

Vasilii went up to the panel and pressed a button before pressing a button near the speaker. Aerona heard a buzzing noise before a voice of a young man boomed from it.

"This is Vasilii, Elder," said the older man.

"Moises, Attendant to the Receiver," replied the voice from the speaker.

"Tell the Receiver to come for another meeting at the Department of Justice. This matter will be particularly interesting to him," said Vasilii.

"All right, Elder Vasilii. Thank you for your instructions."

The soft noise coming from the speaker disappeared and they all waited for this reclusive man. Siobhan tapped her fingers on the table while Maeve, Klaus and Boaz were looking over some files carefully. Selene and Fawn were whispering to each other, occasionally looking at Aerona. Edmund and Vasilii were conversing with one another about something related to food distribution while Wilhemine got up and looked through the cabinets for more information about whatever they were concerned with. Only Matthias was available to Aerona.

"Why are you all being so nice to me if you don't know what to do with me?" she asked.

"Why do you ask?" Matthias asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Well, it's just," Aerona spoke, struggling to figure out the right words. "I'm from a completely foreign land and you hardly find anything suspicious about it. How do you know I'm not a harbinger of something malevolent to happen in the future?"

Matthias let out a low chuckle. "That's why we have the Receiver. He helps us decide such things."

"Oh," she muttered. "You must put a lot of faith in this man."

"Of course," Matthias answered. "Selecting a Receiver is an arduous process. They have to have several traits. For example, intelligence, integrity, courage and wisdom. If a candidate didn't fulfill those requirements, he or she wouldn't be a Receiver to start with."

Some time later, Aerona heard a knock on the door and Matthias got up to get it. All of the Elders turned their chairs toward the door and Aerona mimicked their actions, waiting to see how the Elders would act in the face of whatever was coming. They seemed to tidy themselves up quickly, which made Aerona feel ashamed that she hadn't even had the chance to bathe herself before such a meeting. Matthias opened the door and there stood a seemingly frail old man with a light gray beard and sharp blue eyes. Aerona watched as the Elders stood up and copied this action, realizing just who he was.

It was the Receiver.

* * *

**HELLO! For any of you who read D&D and noticed the name Maeve, let me clear up some confusion. Names in the community cannot be shared and when a person is Released, their name becomes available for a newchild when said baby becomes a One. Elder Maeve is Released the year Maeve from D&D is born (7154). In the original book, The Giver, this is seen as well. Jonas learns that a man named Roberto, who was an Instructor of Twelves and designed the architectural layout of the Plaza, was Released and his name was given to a Newchild (if you don't remember this from the book, then you must think I'm lying. I'm not. When Jonas goes to the House of The Old and bathes an old woman named Larissa, the old woman talks about Roberto's Release Ceremony, saying that Roberto raised successful children. She also talks about Edna's Release Ceremony, saying that she was a Birthmother who worked in Food Production for years and that she didn't think Edna was very smart. This is the same Edna featured here).**

**Should I feature Roberto? What other characters should I feature here from the original book? From D&D? **


	10. 7132 AD: The Receiver

"Welcome, Receiver of Memory," the Elders said in unison.

_Receiver of _Memory_? HA! This just keeps getting better and better. _

The old man with the sharp blue eyes gazed at Aerona with interest as he walked in with a certain stride unexpected from someone his age. Matthias motioned to Aerona and she moved away so the Receiver could take a seat. The Receiver, instead of sitting down, approached Aerona with a strange respect for her. She smiled at the old man, glad to be finally meeting him. The other Elders looked on with interest, unsure of what to make of this meeting. The Receiver reached for Aerona's curly hair, his fingertips barely brushing a few unruly strands, and pulled his hand away. He seemed shocked and fascinated by her and his eyes seemed to reveal a sense of longing that was soon to be fulfilled. Aerona was puzzled by his reaction and took a step back unwittingly. His eyes appeared to grow bloodshot, but he blinked back whatever tears that would have formed had he not done that preventative measure.

"Receiver, this is Aerona, age 18. She arrived less than an hour ago from Elsewhere," Matthias explained. "She was found in the fields farther out from the community where the punished laborers were working."

"Hello, Aerona," the Receiver spoke, bowing slightly so that it wasn't even noticeable to some. "My name is Jasper."

"Thank you for meeting me," Aerona replied, bowing back in respect. "I understand it is only you who knows what to do with me."

Jasper chuckled. "I'd like to get to know you, Aerona, before I make a decision. Please, sit with me."

He excused the other Elders and ordered the last one out to close the door behind him. Aerona watched as each of them left, knowing that each of them had no idea what to expect. Jasper tapped his fingers on the desk as they exited the room and sighed a breath of relief when the door was shut. Aerona felt odd, knowing that she was alone with a man she didn't know, and thought about that night with Pryce. She struggled to keep from crying about it and turned her head when she knew she would shed a tear. Jasper reached out to grab her shoulder in attempt to comfort her, but she pulled away.

"Is something wrong, Aerona?"

"No," she shook her head, drying her tears. "Nothing."

Jasper sighed. "Do you feel out of place?"

Aerona made a confused, what's-wrong-with-you face at him, which surprised him. She wondered if she made him feel stupid and bad at his job, whatever it was. Her gestures became more animated and patronizing as she spoke.

"What the– 'do I feel out of place' – fucking _duh_ I feel out of place! You're supposed to be the wisest guy here and you ask the obvious question of 'do I feel out of place'? Have you never dealt with such a situation?" she ranted. "If I were in your position, with everybody being so unexposed and all, I'd be wondering if this newcomer wasn't a threat to my homeland! What is _wrong_ with you? You just assume I'm benevolent?"

Jasper chuckled. "The fact that you actually brought up that point proves your innocence, Aerona. Someone who was a threat to our security would try to hide it as much as possible."

"PFFT! Of course my ranting wasn't just a clever way to do so, unless you think I'm that stupid."

Jasper's expression changed to one of concern, compassion and pity. Already, Aerona felt guilty for causing anguish to the old man. She looked down, beating herself up for treating him this way, as his occupation must have been difficult enough as it is. Without lifting her head, she peered at his eyes, changing her frown into a weak smile.

"I'm sorry, Jasper. I don't mean to be so cruel."

"It's all right," Jasper replied. "Your journey from Elsewhere must have been difficult. To my understanding, Elsewhere is very far and very different from here. I can see the difference in your eyes. They are very unique."

Aerona felt self-conscious about her eyes. She remembered a few years ago when she asked her mother for an eye color correction due to her heterochromia. Gwendolyn had refused her and she felt insecure about it ever since. Now that Jasper had said something close to a compliment about it, she felt comforted for a short moment. She then remembered that Pryce had said a similar comment about her eyes before he violated her. The memory was pushing itself to the forefront of her thoughts and she tried to suppress it, failing miserably. She put her head down on the table and sobbed.

"Aerona," Jasper whispered. "What's wrong?"

"Please stop asking that," Aerona whimpered, her voice muffled. "If I wanted to tell you, I would."

Jasper took out a packet of tissues from his pocket and left them beside Aerona's hand. He waited patiently for her to notice his little gift and dry her tears before she stopped crying altogether. Aerona's sobs became quieter and she took a tissue from the packet, wiping her face and blowing her nose. She sat up, acknowledging Jasper's deed, and her breathing became less hiccuped. Jasper smiled when he saw her a little less upset. She peered at his face, her eyes still bloodshot and her face still puffy, and sighed.

"So, what are you going to do with me?"

"First, I want to know why you came to this community," Jasper answered.

"I came because things were... difficult in Elsewhere. I heard about life in the communities being easier."

"What do you mean by difficult?"

Aerona shook her head. "I'm not so sure I'm ready to answer that."

Jasper stared at the wall, possibly contemplating something before he opened the door for the other Elders. Jasper got up so the other Elders could sit down and listen to his plan. Aerona looked up at him, hoping that he meant well, and peered at the others, who didn't seem to notice the signs of crying. She put the packet of tissues in her pocket and paid attention to Jasper.

"I have decided that we let her stay in our community. Let the record show that Aerona, 18-51, is now a permanent resident of Hurupolis. She will be taken to the Hospital, where she will be promptly bathed and examined for general health. Once the Hospital confirms that she is perfectly healthy, she will be tested for her intelligence so we can form a schedule for her education, if she needs it. Considering her age, she has the option of staying with either a family unit, which she will be assigned to, or living with the Childless Adults. After her daily education, she will devote the rest of her time to volunteering at the community's various facilities. When she reaches the age of twenty one, she will be given an occupation based on her intelligence and interests."

"Excuse me," Aerona interrupted. "What's a family unit?"

Jasper chuckled. "Every family unit has two Spouses, male and female, and the maximum of two children, one boy and one girl. Once the children mature, they move out and form family units of their own while the former Spouses live with the Childless Adults, and eventually, the House of the Old. We'll answer all of your further questions later, Aerona. Right now, we need to check on your health."

He then turned his attention to the rest of the Elders. "Can we get this woman a bicycle and some clothes?"

Maeve went to the panel, contacting the appropriate departments while Aerona waited anxiously. She saw Jasper reach out to place a comforting hand on her shoulder and looked around, wondering what sort of check ups will be performed at the Hospital. Aerona hoped she remembered how to ride a bicycle and worried about how quickly she would learn if she hadn't. How far was the Hospital from here? She didn't bother with these thoughts anymore.

Aerona heard something from the speaker, yet she failed to make it out, as she wasn't paying attention. Matthias motioned to her and opened the door with a gentle smile. Aerona was about to leave when she felt something brush her hand. She turned around, realizing it was Jasper's fingers.

"I wish you well," Jasper whispered to her with caring eyes.

"You too," she replied, not even knowing why she meant it, and left.

* * *

**HOLA! Any predictions? For some reason, I keep fantasizing about writing a scene where Aerona will eventually sneak into the Nursery, snatch Rhiannon, and nurse her because she has a strong connection to her. Of all her children (Rhosyn, Emanuel, Rhiannon, and Maeve), I think she should be the most connected to Rhiannon. Is this a good idea?**


	11. 7132 AD: Tests

Aerona exited the Department of Justice to find a bicycle waiting outside for her. It had an empty nameplate and a basket on the back with a neatly packaged change of clothes. A seemingly forty-year-old woman named Moira waited beside it, propping up a bicycle of her own, about the same size. Aerona approached the bike, holding the handlebars as she mounted it. At first, she struggled to push down on the pedals and the handlebar wobbled as she rode. Moira watched as Aerona attempted to ride the bike and succeeded after a good ten minutes. She could feel Moira's gaze on her and felt small and pathetic.

"Your name is Aerona, yes?"

Aerona nodded, putting her weight on her right leg as she stopped the bike, waiting for Moira to mount hers. Moira started to ride in one direction when she looked back at Aerona, gesturing with her head.

"Follow me," Moira called. "I'll show you to the Hospital."

Aerona struggled to keep up with Moira, so she pedaled harder and ended up riding a bit past her guide. The community citizen inched past Aerona and the newcomer followed close behind as they passed what Aerona learned to be the Plaza. She learned her head slightly as they passed a large school building, which was built adjacent to a daycare center for recreation. Next to the recreation center was a Nursery, and finally, the Hospital. Moira braked and Aerona pressed the brakes as well, stopping near the bicycle ports.

"Park your bike in the port," Moira instructed. "I'll walk you in to the Hospital. Take your change of clothes with you."

Aerona pushed down the kickstand for her bicycle and followed Moira through the clear front doors. Everyone took a glance at her before they returned to their work, some organizing files, others conducting experiments and packaging pills. Everyone, like everywhere else, was dressed in identical clothing and working like ants. It put Aerona on edge.

Moira noticed her nervousness and gave a gentle smile, guiding her to a front desk in a lobby. A man in his thirties was inputing data into a computer when Moira knocked on the table, getting his attention.

"Oh, hello, Moira," the man greeted warmly before he peered curiously at Aerona. "Who is this woman?"

"Her name is Aerona," Moira explained. "Listen, Desmond. She came from Elsewhere and arrived before the Elders. They decided that she should receive an examination for her health. Can you make sure she receives the appropriate vaccinations and whatnot, if needed?"

Desmond nodded and Moira left Aerona with him. Desmond opened a flap on his desk, revealing a panel of buttons and a speaker, and pressed one of them. He gave an order for some workers to clear up a room and a doctor be made available. Aerona heard a young voice chirp, "Thank you for your instructions," and waited until Desmond received a call back. Meanwhile, Aerona watched Desmond input more data into a computer until she realized that she made him uncomfortable. After she received an odd look from Desmond, Aerona looked away, noticing a room full of injured people and reading a sign that said "Rehabilitation Center". She waited for five minutes until a beep came from the speaker and Desmond shifted his attention promptly.

"Desmond," the young voice spoke. "Room 805 is available for Aerona."

"And what doctor?"

"Doctor Yoshi."

_What's with these names?_

Desmond excused Aerona, pointing her to the elevator. She walked on, passing by several rooms before she entered the elevator. Aerona was about to push the button for the eighth floor when she saw a girl who appeared to be eleven running through the hallway to the elevator. The girl's wild actions seemed to disturb the incredibly ordered atmosphere of the hospital, making everyone tense. The girl almost tripped over something as she sprinted toward the elevator, whose doors were about to close.

"Hold the door open," she called, prompting Aerona to stick an arm out in order to block the doors.

The young girl caught her breath and entered, pressing a button as Aerona withdrew her arm. The child stepped back and gazed at Aerona, who paid attention to the folder in her hands and to the child's appearance. The girl looked down, giving Aerona the impression that she was pretty shy, and Aerona inexplicably felt pity. She smiled at her.

"What's your name?" she asked her sweetly.

The girl perked up, blinking her nearly black eyes.

"Lotus," she spoke softly.

Aerona smiled. "That's a beautiful name."

Lotus blushed shyly and looked at her own folder. Aerona paid attention to her big eyes and petite nose, coming to the conclusion that Lotus was very pretty. She noticed that Lotus's lips were surprisingly red.

"My name's Aerona," the older girl said, focusing on the folder. "What's the folder for?"

"It's the rules for my assignment I received at my Ceremony of Twelve," Lotus explained before adding dismally. "I was assigned Birthmother."

Lotus then changed the subject. "Where did you get your strange clothes?"

Aerona chuckled. "I came here in them. I'm from Elsewhere, actually."

Lotus drew in breath with amazement, almost dropping her folder.

"Elsewhere?" Lotus asked. "What's it like? What job did you get at your Ceremony of Twelve? Are your clothes for your job? What's the schedule like? How far is it from here? Why did you leave?"

Aerona let out a low giggle at Lotus's curiosity, tempted to pat her head gently. She thought about her old friends back home and started to wonder about the state of affairs in the Eastern Province. How did Ismene react to her absence? What about Macsen? Her parents? What was happening with the protests? Did they resort to war? If so, what would become of Rhosyn, her forced daughter?

How long had it been?

Aerona sighed. "It was a difficult place to live in."

She chose a different subject to discuss. "Who assigned you Birthmother?"

"The Elders. They choose it by what you're interested in and how smart you are and what you can do," Lotus sighed. "Not very many people think highly of me. People don't like Birthmothers. It's not my fault though. I have to make babies and give them to another family unit, once my training is complete."

"I know what that's like," Aerona comforted.

"You do?" Lotus asked before she paused, biting her lip. "Were you a Birthmother?"

"Well, no, not exactly. We chose our own jobs and–"

"You _chose_ to be a Birthmother?"

Aerona heard a _ding_, signaling that the elevator was close to arriving. Lotus was gazing at a ring on Aerona's pinky finger and the older girl took it off, thinking it would make a nice gift. She handed it to Lotus.

"What's it for?"

"You wear it on your finger," Aerona stated, gesturing her to hold out her hand and slipping the ring on her finger. "Back where I came from, garments and whatnot could be used to express oneself."

Lotus raised an eyebrow as she admired the thin band. "What am I supposed to express with _this?_"

Aerona gazed at Lotus. "What do you feel?"

Lotus pondered for a moment, looking at her folder, which was full of regulations and instructions. She sighed, looking down in shame and gripping the sides of her folder. She tapped her foot, trying to think of what she was feeling. Finally, Lotus spoke.

"I don't really like my job," Lotus spoke before continuing in a hushed voice, as if she feared that someone would hear her. "I think they chose wrong."

Aerona smiled. "Then let it be an expression of defiance."

Lotus stepped back with wide eyes. She looked at Aerona, then at the floor, then somewhere in between in a rather shy manner. Aerona's grin slowly disappeared.

"I don't think they would like that very much."

"They don't have to."

The elevator arrived and Aerona stepped off, looking for Room 805. Just before the elevator doors closed, Lotus called out to Aerona.

"Thank you!" the young Birthmother shouted, prompting a goodbye wave from Aerona.

Aerona found Room 805 and entered, seeing a woman preparing some equipment and opening a door that led to a bathing room. She assumed it was Doctor Yoshi.

"Hello, Aerona," Yoshi greeted. "They told me you were coming. Go bathe and change into your new clothes."

"Where would these clothes go?" Aerona asked, pointing to what she was wearing.

"They will be disposed of," answered Doctor Yoshi.

Aerona left to the bathing room, closing the door and looking around the room. There was exactly one toilet and one stall with a door for showering, which came with a bathtub. She undressed and stepped in, closing the stall door behind her, and saw that there was a single button beneath the faucet. She pressed it and warm water came spewing out of the shower head, albeit not at the temperature she preferred. Aerona simply dealt with it and looked around for some soap, seeing only a soap bar and a bottle of hair cleaner. She scrubbed herself thoroughly, only realizing now how filthy she was during her entire trip here. She still wasn't sure how long she had been gone.

Aerona stepped out of the shower, looking for a towel, and saw a stack of them resting on a shelf. She took one and dried herself off before she changed into her new uniform, which was surprisingly soft. The bra she had been provided compressed her breasts somewhat and her tunic was a little loose, but otherwise, she didn't have any problems. She stepped out of the bathroom and into the examination room, where Doctor Yoshi was waiting.

"How do you feel?" Doctor Yoshi asked.

"I feel fine."

"Please, sit," the doctor replied, pointing to a firm cot backed against the wall.

Aerona sat down and the doctor instructed her to stick out her arm for a blood test. She did so, but not without asking why as Doctor Yoshi stuck a needle in her arm and drew blood.

"To see if you're due for vaccinations or vulnerable to certain illnesses," Yoshi explained.

Yoshi drew some blood into three thin containers that Aerona couldn't name and bandaged the woman's arm before she placed the containers into some machine connected to a computer. Yoshi typed in some data that Aerona couldn't see and she heard a beeping noise from the device. The doctor perked up and smiled, moving around her finger on the attached touchpad.

"What happens now?" Aerona asked.

Yoshi turned her head to the woman before reading the data on the computer, squinting her eyes slightly. "You're due for one vaccination. As for the rest of the diseases we normally take care of, you've seemed to develop natural immunities, I'm guessing due to previous exposure."

Aerona remembered a story her mother had told her about falling ill. She had been no older than two years old and was due for a vaccination known to take care of some long-mutated version of an ancient form of chickenpox. For some reason, Gwendolyn had put off the appointment due to other plans and Aerona got caught with it for a while. When she heard her mother tell the story for the first time, she fretted about getting the disease again. Aerona remembered her mother chuckling as she explained that with this type of disease, previous exposure meant guaranteed future immunity. She guessed that such diseases were what Doctor Yoshi was talking about.

"However, you do have some genetic abnormalities."

"Abnormalities?" Aerona asked. "What does that mean?"

"I mean that there are some genes in your DNA that are considered abnormal. Normally, our genetic scientists work to breed them out," Yoshi explained. "Don't worry, they aren't harmful. Sometimes our scientists allow very few to have these rather odd traits. Our Receiver of Memory has the same abnormalities as you do, albeit less pronounced."

"Who else has these abnormal genes?"

"His Birthmother," Yoshi explained. "I think her name was Jessamine. Oddly enough, she only had boys."

Aerona kicked her legs nervously, thinking of that twelve year old girl on the elevator, whom she gave her ring. The girl, Lotus, was ashamed as her status as a Birthmother. From what the child had told her, Birthmothers gave up their children so another couple could adopt them. If children and jobs were assigned to people, then what about husbands and wives? What about homes?

Did anyone have any choices at all?

"If they aren't harmful, then why are the scientists breeding them out?"

Yoshi sighed. "For the majority of the population, such genes were considered unnecessary."

* * *

Aerona walked out of the Hospital with some papers to give to the Elders back at the Department of Justice. She found her bicycle, placing her folder of papers in the attached basket, and mounted it, riding back to the building where she first met the Receiver.

As she rode, she thought about young Lotus, who seemed oddly appreciative of the ring. As far as Aerona could detect, difference and expression wasn't highly valued. Everyone wore uniforms, everyone had a bicycle (except for some of the younger children, she learned), everyone had a job and everyone had some sort of role. She couldn't detect any hierarchy based on class and wondered if, aside from the government and the standard citizens, there was any hierarchy at all.

There likely was, she thought, as Lotus had mentioned being looked down on for her occupation. Perhaps there was a hierarchy of intelligence? She guessed so and parked her bike in front of the Department of Justice when she arrived.

She walked in, trying to remember the way to the Elders' meeting room, and found the door. Aerona knocked and waited for someone to come.

It was Matthias who opened the door.

"Hello, Aerona," Matthias greeted with a smile. "How did your appointment go?"

Aerona noticed that some of the other Elders were missing. She peered at the individual name tags and took notice of each absent Elder, trying to recall what each one looked like. It was quite difficult, considering how homogenous this place was. Only Siobhan, Selene and Klaus remained with Matthias. Matthias allowed her to come in and she closed the door behind her, handing the folder to the older man.

"Where are the other Elders?"

Matthias looked behind him and chuckled. "They're observing the current Elevens while they finish their volunteer hours. It's just one of the many things Elders do to determine their assignments for when they become Twelves in December, which is less than a month away. I hope you don't mind me asking, but what were you assigned at your Ceremony of Twelve?"

"My Ceremony of Twelve?" Aerona asked, still confused.

"Yes," Matthias continued. "At the end of your eleventh year of life, you become a Twelve, along with your group mates of that year. You learn what occupation the Elders of your community assigned to you, which you carry out until you retire at the House of the Old."

"Things... worked differently, where I came from."

Matthias furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean? I'm not sure I understand."

"Well, people took on different jobs at different ages and it depended on your status in the existing hierarchy. If you were of high status, sometimes you learned your parents trade and sometimes you didn't have to have an occupation until later in life. If your status was high enough," Aerona explained, thinking that these people wouldn't have any concept of wealth. "You might have not had to work at all. If your status was low enough, you may never have the chance to retire. Some of the people on the very low end of the hierarchy die before they reach that age."

"Die?" Matthias responded. "I think you mean 'expire'. Did they emphasize Precision of Language where you came from?"

"Uhh," she replied, not really understanding what he meant. "Somewhat, but some liberties could be taken with language."

Matthias chuckled. "Speaking of which, you have to complete your test of intelligence."

The older man pointed to a chair. "Sit over there, Aerona. Klaus, can you get the assessment test?"

Klaus nodded, fetching the test from a file cabinet. He handed it to Matthias, who placed it right before Aerona. She looked over the questions, realizing how easy some of them were. She wrote her first name and wondered if she should include the rest. She doubted that anyone hear had the same name pattern, so she wrote her name and the number the Receiver assigned to her.

The first section was mathematics, which was somewhat basic. She remembered studying these formulas a few years ago, right before she was impregnated with Rhosyn. Aerona did them rather quickly and went on to the science section, noticing that none of the questions included anything about weather or anything relevant to the plates that caused earthquakes. There was absolutely nothing about the ocean eroding the land on the shore, nor about the formation of volcanoes. She noticed that some questions were about light rays, but there was no mention of color, and there was minimal information about biology, but no questions regarding how the endocrine system affected emotions. Some of the work was basic information about aerodynamics, which bored her, and other questions were about technology. She struggled a bit with those and skipped a few before she saw questions about language.

Right when she saw the first few questions, she understood what Matthias meant by Precision of Language. It was a very basic concept that teachers back in the Province Union referred to early in her education, albeit not with that name. She considered it quite elementary, as when she got older, she learned of how great authors took liberties with language in poetry and prose. It was one thing to identify appropriate definitions and understand when to use proper grammar, however, it was quite another to interpret metaphors, understand how ancient languages developed into the Common Modern Language, and understand when words were distorted to portray dialect. She finished that section rather quickly and organized the papers into a neat stack, pushing them slightly away from her.

Each present Elder evaluated the scores with an already made answer key, each one with a smile on his or her face. Aerona guessed that they were impressed with her scores and waited for them to finish. Matthias smiled politely at her as Siobhan finished grading the Language Test and handed it to him. He entered the data into the computer, waiting for Klaus and Selene to finish scoring the other tests, and entered Aerona's scores. She waited around, wishing that the process could have been a bit quicker. To keep herself busy, she thought of Jasper.

Right off the bat, she knew Jasper was inherently different from the other Elders. The old man must have tried to seem comforting, but some of it came off as a bit creepy to Aerona. Why was he constantly reaching out to touch her if he didn't know her? Aerona wondered how Jasper came to be the man he was, whatever that was, and failed to come up with any ideas. All she could guess was that he must have been very lonely.

Matthias stepped back from the computer and addressed Aerona. Her head perked up at his voice.

"Good news is," he started. "You proved yourself to have slightly above average intelligence. We have confidence that you'll transition into our community rather nicely."

"Is there bad news?"

"Not particularly," Matthias stated as he sat down beside her. "Now the question of your education and volunteer hours remains. I'm sure you understand that your situation is very unique. The Receiver stated that your education hours would come before your volunteer hours, but while you were being checked for health, we were looking at the schedules of our school instructors. You could do your volunteer hours when others are normally in schooling. As for your education, you will only need a certain amount of hours each day, which will take place after the other children are off volunteering or at the Childcare Center."

"What do I needed to be schooled in?" Aerona asked. "If Twelves received their jobs, then why would they need to continue schooling? I likely already know what they needed to learn in order to graduate."

"Well, yes, you've excelled in all the categories on the assessment test, but you still have to study Civil Procedures, Commerce and Government."

"Oh. I understand."

"There is an Instructor of Elevens who I'm sure would be willing to spend some time educating you. His name is Roberto. He enjoys spending his extra time improving our community," Matthias explained.

"A stellar citizen," piped Siobhan.

"He is responsible for the landscape of the Plaza, which I'm sure you saw," Matthias explained. "I know he has a son who is one of the top students in his class."

"What's his name?" Aerona asked, simply for the sake of conversation.

"I think it's Hans."

_Finally_, she thought, _a relatively normal name._

"Now the question remains," Matthias continued. "Whether you want to live with the Childless Adults or with a family unit."

"Who would I stay with if I choose the latter?"

Matthias gazed at the other Elders, who were looking over some records. Aerona checked the clock, realizing that it was very late in the afternoon. She wondered what her arrangements would be.

"The Receiver is very willing to let you into his family unit," Matthias explained. "He has a Spouse and a son who is an Eleven. Keep in mind that you will only be staying with them until you receive your Assignment."

Without thinking, Aerona spoke.

"I choose to live with them."


	12. 7132 AD: Family Unit

Considering how late it was, Aerona had to go straight to her new home, where Jasper's wife and son were waiting. The woman started to wonder if the family dynamic was different with a Receiver than it was with those of other occupations and doubted it, not really sure how she came to such a conclusion.

The Elders gave her the address to her new Dwelling and she had trouble finding her way. Aerona once rode around a block twice before she realized she was riding in circles and looked around, trying to figure out which direction she was supposed to go. She took a turn left somewhere and a right someplace else before she took another left. _Another left and another right and another left, followed by more rights and lefts_, she groaned. Finally, she stopped before a plain-looking house, parking her bicycle in the ports inside a small garage. She walked into the dwelling, where a woman in her thirties and an eleven-year-old boy sat down, preparing their prepackaged meal. The woman was drinking a cup of coffee when Aerona closed the door behind her, smiling.

"My Spouse notified me that you would be coming," the woman stated. "Aerona, yes?"

Aerona nodded and looked around. There was a large table for eating, a shelf with a few reference books and two cases of pills that Aerona had yet to learn the purpose of. There were three rooms, one for the parents, one for the male child and one for the female. She guessed that each one had only the essentials: a bed for sleeping, a table for working, and a cabinet for clothes. The eleven-year-old boy gazed at her odd appearance and Aerona sighed.

"I can't read your name tag from here," Aerona commented.

The woman continued to smile politely. "My name is Kristie. This is my son, Jeremiah. Please, sit with us. We're about to have our Evening Meal."

Aerona sat next to Jeremiah and took her plate of food, realizing just how hungry she was. She saw there was salmon and cooked vegetables (the kind her mother had to bribe her to eat) and forced herself to eat the latter. She looked at Jeremiah and saw that he had no problem with it, wondering if these people could even taste food. Aerona almost scoffed at herself for thinking of such a ridiculous question, as she knew many people who would be very willing to eat her vegetables. Kristie finished chewing something and put her eating utensils by the sides of her plate. Jeremiah did the same.

"Who's first for the Telling of Feelings?" Kristie asked.

"I'm sorry, Telling of Feelings?"

"We talk about what happened today, Aerona," Kristie explained. "And our subsequent emotions. Did you not have this nightly ritual where you came from?"

"It wasn't obligatory," Aerona replied, poking at the remainder of her food.

"I'll go first," Jeremiah said, clearing his throat. "I was talking to my friend Wendy about the Ceremony of Twelve and we both heard that one of my classmates might be held back one year if she doesn't get her grades up to par. I heard quite a few of my classmates talk about her."

"Who is this girl?" Kristie asked, showing concern.

"Her name is Evette," Jeremiah answered. "I feel sorry for her. I can't imagine what it would be like not to have your Ceremony of Twelve at the same time as your group mates."

"What occupation do you think she'll receive if she brings her grades up?" Aerona asked.

"Hmm," Jeremiah thought. "Maybe a Laborer or a Birthmother."

Kristie changed the subject. "Aerona, now that you understand the process of Telling of Feelings, do you want to share?"

"No," she said. "You go before me."

Kristie sat up straight and started her story. "I had to Release someone that Judge Paula punished for the third time. It's a shame that he didn't learn from his previous wrongdoings. I remember thinking that he would have had so much potential, had he not committed those infractions."

Jeremiah looked down mournfully and pushed away his food, giving Aerona the hint that being Released was something terrible. She wondered what was entailed in the process and looked at Kristie, who seemed little more than mildly unhappy. Aerona guessed that this was because Kristie didn't know the Released man very well. She didn't feel so much grief either, as she had no idea who he was.

"What was his name?" Aerona asked.

"Stephen," Kristie explained. "He hadn't even had the chance to receive his Spouse yet. I remember he was applying for one right before he committed his third infraction."

"I wish he got just another chance," Jeremiah stated.

"Jeremiah, you know the rules," Kristie replied. "Three major infractions and a citizen is Released."

"Excuse me," Aerona interrupted. "What is Release?"

Kristie took on a more calm demeanor as she gave her explanation. "Release is when we send a citizen Elsewhere. We also perform it on the elderly once they have reached the end of their time here." She chuckled. "Since I mentioned Elsewhere, why don't you tell me what it's like?"

Jeremiah turned his head to Aerona with interest. Kristie patiently held her hands on the table and Jeremiah was gripping the sides of his chair to keep from jumping out with curiosity and excitement. Aerona wasn't sure she wanted to explain her pain and the possible civil war. She thought of her family, but mostly about Ismene, Macsen, and her forced daughter. She couldn't imagine what it would be like for Rhosyn to grow up knowing almost nothing but war for the majority of her childhood. She now felt selfish for leaving the young child behind, but at the time, Rhosyn reminded her too much of Pryce. She hoped Pryce would soon die in the war.

"It was a difficult place to live in, where I lived," Aerona simply commented.

"They don't send the elderly where _she_ lived, do they, Mother?" Jeremiah asked. "Just those that committed the infractions, right?"

"Yes, Jeremiah," Kristie said, soothing him before looking at the young adult. "Aerona, you're the last to share."

"Isn't Jasper coming home?" she asked skeptically.

"I don't think he will tonight," Kristie explained. "He does a lot of work outside our Dwelling, both day and night. Now, your Telling of Feelings."

"I'm not sure what you want to hear."

Kristie extended a hand to comfort Aerona, who rejected it. She didn't know this woman or her son, she didn't know Jasper nor did she really know anyone else in this strange, homogenous place. She kept her hand back, causing Kristie to furrow her eyebrows in confusion. Aerona couldn't be sure whether or not she hurt Kristie's feelings, nor did she know if she cared or not. Kristie pulled her arm back, realizing the rejection, and sighed.

"You seem to be discomforted," Kristie observed. "Why don't you tell us what's bothering you?"

"It's too complicated," Aerona stated.

"Aerona, if you don't share your feelings with us, they may not be resolved properly."

"My feelings aren't meant to be resolved in one night," Aerona bitterly replied. "I'm going to bed."

* * *

**Anyone recognize a character from D&D? If so, you have earned... wait! DRUMROLL! A PM from me (you'll have to state it in the review, though)! Speaking of reviews, leave any criticisms and predictions you have (and if you recognize that character, that'll give me an idea of what to write in my PM to you)! **


	13. 7132 AD: First Full Day

Aerona woke up and went to use the bathroom when she noticed that there was no mirror. She started to feel uncomfortable, as she was accustomed to always having the option of looking at oneself when grooming. Now, she felt strange and oddly helpless. What would it feel like for everyone to know what you look like except yourself? She found a bottle of something that she likened to mouthwash and cleaned her teeth. Aerona looked for a hairbrush and found a small one. She attempted to use it on her hair, but it got stuck several times, so she gave up.

Aerona changed into a fresh uniform and sat down at the dining table where Kristie and Jeremiah already sat. Kristie placed a meal in front of Jeremiah and pushed a plate in front of Aerona's seat. The young woman ate her food less eagerly than she did yesterday and ended up finishing after everyone else. Jeremiah was staring at Aerona's hair when Kristie made a comment.

"Don't stare, Jeremiah," she reprimanded. "You might be making her uncomfortable."

"I apologize, Aerona, for causing you discomfort," Jeremiah immediately said with a voice that sounded like a computer. "I was just thinking that most people have had their haircuts by her age."

Kristie calmed down. "I see what you mean. Unruly hair like that wouldn't be very practical."

She then motioned to Aerona, instructing her to pull out her chair to a more isolated spot, and grabbed some scissors. Aerona felt uncomfortable letting this woman touching her hair. Little by little, Kristie snipped her curly locks until Aerona felt like a shorn sheep. She patted her own head, feeling how light it felt, and thought that her hair might grow into an afro. She almost chuckled at the thought, had it not for both Kristie and Jeremiah staring at her. Kristie cleaned up the hair and put it in a waste bin before both women sat down to eat again.

"Citizens typically have their first haircut at their Ceremony of Ten," Kristie stated.

It was then when Aerona realized that people must not have had individual birthdays. People just shared one in December. Why hadn't it occurred to her earlier?

"Now," Kristie continued. "For the Sharing of Dreams. Who wants to go first?"

Neither "child" offered, so Kristie went first. She set her plate and eating utensils aside before she started. Aerona noticed that Jeremiah was looking at his mother intently.

"In my dream, I was speaking to Stephen. He kept asking me not to Release him, but I reminded him again and again about the rules. He seemed very frightened."

_Of course he would be, idiot. He's going into a place he doesn't know filled with hardships he may never have had to face otherwise. I should know._ She huffed. _What a stupid bitch._

"I guess I had this dream because I felt pity for the man," Kristie concluded and Jeremiah held out a hand to comfort his mother.

Kristie looked at Aerona, likely expecting her to engage in the same gesture, but Aerona refused. Kristie gazed down in confusion and let go of Jeremiah before she expected Aerona to share her dream. The young woman motioned to Jeremiah, indicating that it was his turn to go.

"I was in my bedroom, in the dream, but there was no door leading out. Wendy was there with me and we were just talking about school. I'm not sure why, but I held her hand."

Jeremiah paused, biting his lip in embarrassment, and Aerona guessed that this dream was about to get pretty dirty pretty quickly. She struggled not to laugh to herself and hid her face behind her hand. Aerona avoided Kristie's judging gaze and waited for Jeremiah to tell the rest of his dream.

"We were lying on the bed and I think my shirt was off," Jeremiah continued. "I – I think I was trying to tell Wendy to take off her shirt and her female undergarment."

"Why?" Aerona asked, feigning concern when she really just wanted to make fun of him.

"Well, umm," Jeremiah struggled. "I – uh– I'm trying to remember. I think I wanted to rub her chest. I don't know why, but I thought that it would feel good. She just gave me an odd look and said I was crazy."

"Wait," Aerona started. "Let me get this straight. You wanted to rub her chest because you thought it would feel good – for _who_?"

"I don't know," Jeremiah sighed, ashamed. "I just knew I felt a strong wanting."

"Did you wake up with your male organ erect?"

"Aerona!" Kristie scorned. "Why would you ask that?! Do you know how uncomfortable you must have made him feel? Where did you get such an idea?"

"It happened to my older brother, back in Elsewhere," Aerona explained. "I embarrassed him when it happened to him and he vowed he would do the same thing when my time came. It was hilarious. Well, Jeremiah, aren't you going to answer the question?"

"Aerona, no!" Kristie reprimanded. "I will talk with him privately about his dream later, but for now, we won't discuss any further on the topic. Besides, you have yet to share your dream."

Aerona's body chilled. She hated dreaming. Every time she dreamt, Pryce would be there, either stalking her from a distance or forcing her to relive that horrific night two years ago. Last night was particularly daunting.

She had been in the middle of the forest somewhere in the geo-barrier when she heard a noise in the distance. Aerona was filthy from days of traveling and stopped to bathe when she heard someone's voice. At first, she couldn't identify it, but when she turned around, it was all too familiar. She was completely naked and her lower half was entirely submerged into the water when she saw Pryce standing at the shore, shedding his own clothes. She tried to run away, but the water seemed to keep her feet planted to the sandy floor. Something stopped her from avoiding Pryce's gaze, so no matter what she tried, she was stuck maintaining eye contact with her abuser. The air around her seemed to chill as Pryce came closer to her. His mouth widened into a sinister smile and she started to cry.

"Shh, Aerona," he said, putting his finger to her lips before tracing their edges, licking his lips. "No one will hear you from here."

His hands started to rub every inch of her body and something in the air kept her from moving away. He started to suck on her neck before he whispered things in her ear.

"Good Aerona. Be perfectly still. No fighting. Be a good girl."

Just like most of the dreams she had, Pryce started to invade her body and violate her, subjecting her to pain identical to the kind that happened at Rhosyn's conception. Somehow, her subconscious decided that Pryce wanted more than just regular sex. He violated her in ways that she hardly even knew about and at one point, he had shoved her to the ground, forcing her to please him orally. Aerona remembered waking up sobbing, her lower half still feeling some pain from the dream. She wanted to barf at the recollection of it and struggled to remain calm in front of Jeremiah and Kristie, who both expected her to share her dream. She sighed, holding back tears, and decided to lie.

"I did not have any dreams."

* * *

Aerona left the house, leaving Kristie to discuss that hilarious dream with Jeremiah, and rode to just one of the many facilities she had spent last night reading about in one of the reference books. She decided to work at Food Distribution for a few hours before she would check out some other place and walked into the building, signing her name for records. Someone had ordered her to help with organizing food for the nearby school and she started to work alongside some of those who worked there. Aerona looked at the crowd and recognized Edna from yesterday.

"Hi, Edna!" she waved.

The thirty year old approached her and worked alongside her, putting fruit in neat little boxes. Edna greeted Aerona when they were side by side and they worked like bees.

"How was yesterday?"

"It was fine. I met the Receiver, got a health check and had to finish an intelligence assessment. I was assigned to the Receiver's family unit, actually."

"What was that like?"

"His Spouse, Kristie, had a son named Jeremiah. He kept looking at me strangely," Aerona said, almost chuckling at the recollection of this morning. "The Sharing of Dreams this morning was hilarious."

"Aerona," Edna spoke softly, leaning closer to Aerona so she didn't have to raise her voice. "It's best not to share information of the nightly Tellings and morning Sharings with anyone outside of your family unit. They wouldn't like it."

"Oh, okay."

* * *

It was ten in the morning and Aerona followed Edna to the school, where she saw Jeremiah and his friend Wendy waiting outside for their morning snack. She wondered if he felt awkward around her after having such an odd dream and followed Edna's example, handing the boxes of fruit to an adult who was watching over the students. After they had returned to where they worked, Aerona signed out and headed to the Hospital, hoping to volunteer and work with the Birthmothers.

She rode her bicycle, gazing at the river just once before she turned ahead, and arrived at the Hospital. She went inside and approached the front desk, where Desmond was working, just like yesterday. When he heard her footsteps, his head perked up.

"Aerona, you're back," he noticed.

"I'd like to volunteer at the Birthing Center," she informed him.

"Tenth floor. Once you get out of the elevator, go to the front desk there and sign yourself in."

She thanked him and left, walking at the same pace as everyone else so she wouldn't disturb the ordered atmosphere of the workplace. Aerona entered the elevator, thinking of Lotus, whom she had met at that very spot just yesterday. She couldn't help but think of her big eyes, petite nose and unusually pink lips. She felt her pinky finger, realizing that it felt empty without that ring she ended up giving to young Lotus, and hoped that she would see the little girl again. The elevator arrived to the tenth floor and she signed in, leaving to one of the clear-walled rooms. A male Nurse, possibly in his forties, was attending to four Birthmothers, each on an individual bed.

"Hello, Nurse," she greeted. "I'm volunteering here today. Is there anything I can do?"

The Nurse turned around and greeted her back, looking at his clipboard. "Can you fetch four meals for them? They're outside on a tray."

"Sure."

Aerona exited the room and saw a female she didn't know pushing a tray of food to each of the rooms. She trotted to the tray, noticing how bland and vegetarian the food was, and assumed that this was a measure to prevent morning sickness. She saw smaller containers that looked like it contained something sweet. She assumed those were real treats for Birthmothers and took some of the small cups alongside the four meals back to the room where the middle-aged Nurse was waiting.

"Here they are," Aerona stated, placing them on a bedside table.

"Thank you," the Nurse replied. "What is your name?"

"Aerona, and you?"

The Nurse smiled. "My name is Benjamin. I assume you want to know their names too."

The Birthmothers perked up, really noticing Aerona for the first time. She felt increasingly self-conscious about her short, frizzy hair and her oddly colored eyes and wondered why she was the center of attention here more than any place else. One Birthmother, who appeared to be in her twenties and six months pregnant, introduced herself.

"I'm Astarte," she said and pointed to the one who looked like she was about to give birth any minute. "That one is Rei."

Astarte then pointed to a girl who appeared to be in the same stage of pregnancy as herself. "That is Sayen."

Aerona gazed at a shy girl of about sixteen, who didn't even look pregnant. She let her hair block her face and Aerona wondered what that girl was thinking about, feeling sorry for her. Astarte got Aerona's attention and told her the girl's name.

"That one is Zoey," she stated. "She's a little shy."

Benjamin distributed the food among the Birthmothers and said goodbye, leaving the room. Astarte invited Aerona to sit on her bed and the other Birthmothers crowded around them, gazing at Aerona with a certain level of fascination that she had never experienced. She felt increasingly uncomfortable and Astarte sensed this, smiling to soothe her.

"So you're Aerona," Rei said, smiling.

"Yeah, what about it?"

Sayen spoke up. "You're the woman Lotus talked about yesterday."

"You're well known among the Birthmothers," Astarte explained. "Word about you giving Lotus your ring spread quickly yesterday. They really liked what they heard."

"They like me because I gave her a _ring_?"

Astarte chuckled. "No, Aerona, they like you because you gave her respect. Do you know the reputation surrounding Birthmothers?"

Aerona used her hand to indicate "so-so" and the other Birthmothers held downcast expressions. All she knew was that Birthmothers weren't highly thought of, but that was about it. She wondered what it was like for these women to wait for their assignment to be called during the Ceremony of Twelve only to be looked down upon just days later. Aerona inexplicably started to feel pity.

"Because of the way Elders choose people for assignments, most think that whoever is assigned Birthmother must be stupid and lazy," Astarte explained. "Another reason they look down upon us is that we break certain minor rules frequently. For example, not touching others outside of your family unit."

"Not touching others? That's ridiculous!" Aerona replied incredulously. "How do you _not_ touch others?"

"It's not difficult," she answered. "It's just that during our time as Birthmothers, we need that physical comfort. I don't know why, but we do."

Aerona paused, seeing Astarte's expression. She assumed that Astarte felt ashamed for admitting these feelings, which led her to think that such basic emotional human needs were forbidden. It was no wonder people looked down upon Birthmothers. They were reminiscent of the pre-Treaty Era (if the citizens knew what that was).

"I understand," Aerona explained. "The reputation and comfort thing and, well, not having a choice in the matter. How many children are you supposed to have?"

Astarte sighed. "Three and that's it. After that, we become Laborers."

Sayen decided to change the subject. "What was life like in your community, Aerona?"

_Damn hell! They always have to ask!_ She sighed, thinking of her comforting and playful older brother, her strict parents, her poor best friend and her unwanted child. Aerona remembered Pryce forcefully impregnating her, her brother and best friend's attempts to get the truth out of her, the therapist's comforting presence, and the threat of Pryce returning to her life. Macsen and Ismene had gotten married and taken in Rhosyn while Coralie taught Aerona the subjects she had fallen behind in during her pregnancy. Meanwhile, the protests became a more urgent matter as the wealthy took things into their own hands and reporters predicted a civil war. Aerona couldn't forget the clip of Pryce burning Sandy-Jane, his stepmother and the leader of a few of the protests, and of Ismene's brother, Christopher, getting shot during a gathering. Her last memories of Elsewhere were of writing the note to Ismene before sneaking across the town of Fort Hansfield and stealing a gun from the authorities. Aerona hoped that Ismene was doing well and decided to give the same answer she gave to others of this community.

"Life in Elsewhere was difficult," Aerona answered. "That's why I ran away."

* * *

She spent the rest of that day's volunteer hours at the Birthing Center, telling each Birthmother the same generic answer when asked of her life back home and thinking of what they felt when they had to give up their children. She saw some rub their large abdomens to soothe the kicking of the baby, talking in high-pitched sweet voices to the fetus. Aerona would chuckle softly at the image before she thought about them crying when they couldn't have their child to breastfeed and comfort. She remembered when she had first given birth and thought about what she would do if she were assigned Birthmother. She doubted that would happen, as they had a reputation for being unintelligent and she had taken an assessment test, proving that she understood quite a lot.

Aerona parked her bicycle in front of the school and saw older children leave to other facilities while younger students spent time playing games. She walked into the gray building and searched for the classrooms set for Elevens. There were only two, she learned, as each age group had fifty members, which was split into classes of twenty five each. She took notice of the school's lack of height, which it made up for in how much land it took up. Aerona continued up to the second floor, where she found the first classroom for Elevens. She opened the door and saw a thirty year old man who she assumed to be Roberto.

The man smiled. "You must be Aerona. They told me you were coming."

"I have a strange schedule," she stated randomly.

"I was told as such. I understand you came here just yesterday and scored quite well on your intelligence assessment," Roberto replied. "You'll be easy to teach."

Aerona looked around the classroom, wondering where to sit. Roberto grabbed a chair and placed it beside his own, behind his large desk. He motioned to her and she sat down next to him, observing him take some papers from his desk. It struck her as odd that parts of the community could be so primitive as to use so much paper. People occasionally used paper back home, but it was mostly for writing small notes and drawing. Most people used the public net to record most of their writings. She then remembered that these communities were completely off the grid.

"As far as I've been told," Roberto continued, lengthening some words as he searched for some materials. "I need to instruct you in Civil Procedures, Commerce, and Government."

"Nothing else," Aerona replied. "Considering the simplicity of this place, how hard can it be?"

"You'd be surprised," Roberto answered. "Some don't test very well in those subjects."

"Imagine how'd they fare Elsewhere," she muttered to herself, thinking of how complicated politics and economics were back home.

"Pardon?"

"Oh, nothing," she said. "Should we get started?"

Roberto smiled and brought out lesson guides for Commerce, which didn't particularly interest Aerona. Just by spending less than a day here, she could tell that food was equally distributed, jobs were filled in based on skill and interest, and necessities were given to accommodate everyone's needs. How complicated could it get? There was hardly even a barter system, as far as she knew.

"First, I'd like to know how much you've learned about our community already."

"I read a reference book about the community's facilities last night," she admitted. "Although I didn't get to finish it. Mostly I read about Food Distribution facilities and other places that provide basic needs."

"You still have quite a bit to learn," Roberto replied. "Although I doubt it will be difficult, as you must have had some instruction in commerce and whatnot in your native community."

Aerona slightly smirked. "I'm willing to bet that commerce and government are far more complicated where I come from."

Roberto gave a confused look but otherwise disregarded the comment, giving his student some reading materials. She was given basic information of how labor was divided and resources were distributed to each community. Aerona learned that different communities took over the production of different resources and read over the different names of each city. A ring of communities on the outside took control over agriculture in their region: Hurupolis (where she resided) in the East, Brenhinesboro in the North, Luopiothorpe in the West, and Puterastadt in the South. Those first two communities were considered First Status for a reason Aerona was unaware of, the rest being Second Status (and therefore responsible for cotton and flax production, which leads to the production of fabric). A Third Status community, which she learned was known as Servofors, mostly dealt with labor slightly more difficult than the other community citizens. Aerona learned that more punishing jobs such as mining for metals, which occurred closer to the geo-barrier, were left up to the convicted of every community. _So _that's _how they punish people here._

"Roberto," Aerona asked. "What determines a community's status?"

"How many Receivers they spawn," he answered matter-of-factly. "And how much labor each community is responsible for."

They continued their lessons, eventually discussing Civil Procedures, and Roberto was quite surprised at how much Aerona didn't know. There were certain basic rules that he had to teach Aerona that day, such as "do not touch those outside of your family unit" (she forgot that the Birthmothers had told her this) and "do not lie". He told her to read through the Book of Rules that night for homework and they continued onto Government, which only partially interested Aerona. All that she learned that day was that the Chief Elder was elected every ten years (by other Elders) and the Elders retire at the age of seventy, unlike everyone else, who retired at sixty five. She was told that they would discuss the lower levels of government the following day and left, thanking Roberto for her lesson. Aerona rode home, thinking about the Birthmothers, and parked her bicycle in the small garage.

Kristie and Jeremiah were sitting in their usual seats for the Evening Meal and Jasper sat next to Kristie, smiling at Aerona. She returned the sentiment and sat down, receiving her food.

"You're home today, Father," Jeremiah noted. "You usually don't spend evenings with us."

"I just thought it would be nice to have a more complete family unit," the old man replied. "So, Aerona, would you like to partake in the Telling of Feelings?"

Aerona shrugged and ate her food, waiting for Jeremiah to start his Telling. The Eleven looked at his adoptive sister strangely and she decided to share first, simply to get him to stop staring.

"I volunteered at Food Distribution for a short time and I saw Edna. She was one of the first people I met here, actually," Aerona stated.

"Edna used to be a Birthmother," Kristie explained. "As far as I know, she doesn't have a family unit."

"Then I volunteered at the Birthing Center. Most of the Birthmothers seem to like me."

"So I've heard," Jasper commented. "News travels fast. I've heard that it was almost unnatural, how they have seemed to take such a strong liking to you."

"Is that a bad thing?" Aerona asked.

Jasper chuckled. "Not if applied properly. You should consider volunteering there as much as you can in hopes of becoming a Nurse. Birthmothers just might fare better under your care. I know how they are."

"But do you know _why_?" Aerona asked in a more bitter tone.

"Aerona," Kristie replied sternly. "Remember to be respectful."

"I was just asking a question. Your Spouse here states that he knows how they behave and think and I wanted to ask if he knew why they did what he claims to understand."

There was an awkward silence at the table before Aerona claimed she was tired and went to bed. She pretended to sleep, overhearing some argument between Jasper and Kristie, and knew that the conflict was about her. The argument ended with Jasper sighing and retreating to his bedroom while Kristie waited outside on the couch. Aerona huffed and yearned for home, resisting the urge to fall asleep. When she failed, she was subjected to recurring nightmares without even the chance for a happy dream.

* * *

**What do you think? How should Aerona's relationship with the Birthmothers be depicted? Leave tips, criticisms, etc. in a review please. :)**


	14. 7132 AD: Completing The Year

Aerona noticed how close it was to December and looked forward to the Ceremonies so she could see how they went. From her first few dinners with her family unit, she learned that questions weren't encouraged, so she kept her mouth shut. She saw how her presence caused tension between Kristie and Jasper in the first few days of being here and felt guilty. She couldn't tell whether or not this tension existed between them before she came here and decided not to ask until she gained someone's trust. Judging from her current experience, that trust would not come from Kristie.

As for Jeremiah, Aerona noticed that he no longer had erotic dreams thanks to what Kristie called Stirrings Pills. He had to take one every morning and never forgot a single dosage. Aerona sensed that Kristie suspected her of having "Stirrings", but as long as she didn't report it, she wouldn't be placed on the Pill. She didn't have a sexual longing for anyone or anything, so she found no need to take it.

Aerona volunteered at different places every day and made a point to set aside a few hours for the Hospital so she could visit the Birthmothers. Every day, at least one of the Birthmothers told Aerona about Lotus's curiosity and another would write down whatever Aerona had to say so Lotus could read it later. Aerona soon learned all of the Birthmothers' names and their interests in their childhood. She soon learned that they weren't allowed to take the Pill during their pregnancy and confided in each other about their dreams and infatuations. She felt like the odd one out whenever they spoke about the subject and joined other volunteers (including non-pregnant Birthmothers) in menial work.

Near the end of November, Rei went into labor and Astarte, Sayen and Zoey watched as she gave birth to Number 45. Aerona chose not to join them and waited outside until she saw a Nurse carry out a female infant. The baby cried until she was brought down to the Nursery and Aerona later saw Rei crying over her child. Somehow, she couldn't stop imagining herself in Rei's position sometime in the future. Aerona shuddered at the thought and decided to volunteer at the Nursery, thinking that Rei would like to be updated on her child's well-being.

As for her schooling, Aerona tried to pay attention, but she grew too bored. Her lessons are punishingly dull and easy, but she liked Roberto, so she tolerated every minute of her education. Aerona was tempted to ask questions that would confuse Roberto, but declined. She had no intention of causing trouble and attracting attention to herself.

Aerona decided to volunteer at the Nursery one day and searched for Number 45. The Nurturers were all tending to the babies, some changing diapers and some feeding them with bottles. One woman was rocking an infant to sleep and a few others were entertaining the older babies, filling the room with high-pitched giggles. There was even a child, no older than eleven months, crawling on the floor, much to the delight of a few Nurturers. Aerona thought of her own child back in Rockbourne, who must have not even known that her mother was far away, never to be seen again. She couldn't help but wonder what Rhosyn will think once she finds out that her mother had abandoned her and left her to her brother. She hoped that Pryce would never get a hold of Rhosyn and watched the crawling baby, sighing.

"Hello," said a male Nurturer. "Did you sign in?"

She nodded and read his name tag: Luke. Luke picked up a female that Aerona recognized from the Birthing Center and read the number displayed on her crib. After seeing the number 45, she thought of Rei, who was still thinking of names to give to her daughter. She had seen many other Birthmothers sympathize with Rei, but some of them just wanted Rei to shut up, so Aerona took the time to think about how she would accomplish that. Maybe if she found out the child's future name, she could provide Rei with some closure and let the other Birthmothers get a break.

"How do they name the little ones?" Aerona asked.

"Well," Luke started. "You know how after some time, the elderly are Released? Their names are used again for newchildren, along with some other names. No name is ever used for two people at once."

"What about the names of those who were Released for three infractions?"

"Those names are used, but not until years later," Luke stated. "The naming lists are always very carefully planned out ahead of time. They usually keep it in the front office."

Aerona left Luke where he was standing and went to find the naming list, looking around to make sure no one was watching. She poured through it, noticing that there were exactly fifty spaces, most filled with names and only two left blank. She noticed that they were all handwritten and wondered why Rei didn't just sneak in the office and decide the child's name herself. Considering how many erase marks there were on the page, she doubted anyone would be able to tell the difference.

Aerona skimmed through the page down to Number 45 and read the name in a whisper.

"Juliet," she murmured and spent a few hours in the Nursery, looking after Number 45 and whispering the name to her every so often.

After her volunteering session at the Nursery, she went up to the Birthing Center and found Rei, telling her the name of Number 45. Rei delighted in knowing the name of her daughter and the other Birthmothers were glad to no longer listen to Rei complain about her baby. Aerona was satisfied in knowing that she gave someone closure, which was something she knew she wouldn't have for a long time.

* * *

It was the day of the Ceremony and Aerona could see that Jeremiah was very nervous. Kristie tried to soothe him, but it was no use, and the four rode to the Auditorium to watch the annual ritual. Jasper sat with the other Elders and Jeremiah sat with the group of Elevens, so Aerona was stuck sitting next to Kristie. She looked around and saw the few Birthmothers that weren't pregnant, including Rei. She waved at them and they waved back a little more enthusiastically than they should have.

Kristie caught them and whispered to Aerona that she should sit calmly and be respectful. Aerona wished she was allowed to sit next to Jasper and whisper little jokes in his ear, as he had always enjoyed them. He seemed to understand her more than most and despite having the power to, he didn't push her for answers. Jasper simply waited until she was ready to share whatever was on her mind. However, that didn't mean she spilled all her secrets about Pryce and Rhosyn. Aerona had only leaked small amounts of information about her brother, Macsen, and it was mostly about a few of his antics during their childhood. The soon-to-be nineteen-year-old watched as each baby, or as Kristie corrected her, "newchild" had been named and given to their adoptive parents, each couple beaming. She looked out for Juliet and saw Rei leaning over to watch her daughter be given to a couple. Aerona saw Rei smile weakly as Juliet was named and the Elder handed her to a male Instructor named Tyrone and a woman (whom Aerona assumed had some high position) named Larissa. Aerona thought about the woman and remembered her encountering Edna with a nose held high, just like her own mother would have done to some of the poor she had encountered in her life. She had learned that it was because of Edna's former position as a Birthmother (and her current lack of a family unit) that Larissa had a negative view of Edna and almost instantly hated her for it.

Aerona remembered a conversation she had with Jasper on the topic. She spoke about how she sympathized with Edna during that encounter and Jasper seemed to understand how she felt. Kristie had simply raised an eyebrow when Aerona brought it up and hadn't even bothered to listen. Instead, she left Aerona and Jasper alone to discuss what bothered the older adolescent.

"Edna doesn't deserve that," Aerona had complained. "She didn't choose to be a Birthmother. I know she chose not to have a family unit, but considering that she must have known what it was like to see her child go to another couple, I don't think she would have wanted to inflict that pain on someone else. Larissa's a dumb bitch and she thinks _Edna_ is stupid!"

Jasper had chuckled at Aerona's comment. "Not everyone thinks the way you do, Aerona. You grew up in a place with different ideas than Larissa did. She's just saying what she's been taught to believe."

"So?" Aerona had protested. "I had a mother who was just as much of a snobby bitch as her, doesn't make me identical to her in terms of beliefs!"

"Aerona, shh, calm down. You're getting too upset."

"Who are you to tell me that?"

"Aerona? Why don't you tell me what's truly bothering you?" Jasper had asked, kissing her once on the forehead in attempt to soothe her. "Why are you so unhappy?"

Aerona had stopped the conversation, knowing she couldn't tell him any more without having a mental breakdown. She stopped thinking about it and focused on the Ceremonies, which were getting quite boring, so she almost dozed off. Kristie kept reminding her to stay awake and she yawned, waiting until the Ceremony of Twelve came. She hardly remembered why she looked forward to this at all.

Finally, the group of Elevens were summoned to the stage, seated according to the number, and Aerona paid attention to Jeremiah. He sat next to Wendy and Aerona couldn't help but think of Jeremiah's hilarious dream that one time. The first child, whose name was Yolanda (what kind of name was _that_?) or something, was summoned to the front and Matthias, the Chief Elder, made a speech about her. Finally, he assigned her Caretaker of the Old and completed the same boring process with everyone else. Aerona waited until Matthias summoned Wendy, who was assigned Paralegal, and watched as Jeremiah went up after her.

"Number 31, Jeremiah," said Matthias.

Matthias then made some semi-passionate speech about Jeremiah being a stellar student and a compassionate citizen before assigning him Rehabilitation Doctor. He received a badge, just as the other Twelves had, and returned to his seat with a beaming smile. Aerona rolled her eyes and waited until the Ceremony was over, looking forward to the Afternoon Meal.

* * *

Aerona sat down, watching as Kristie smiled at Jeremiah. He seemed pretty excited about his new job and was constantly staring at his large folder, which contained his rules and regulations surrounding his occupation. She wasn't the least bit curious about it and wanted to get the Telling of Feelings over with. Jasper seemed to have read her mind and asked who would like to go first.

Jeremiah volunteered. "I'm very glad about my job."

"And we're very proud of you, son," Kristie said with a grin. "I felt very proud."

"As did I," Jasper added. "I know you'll enjoy your new job very much."

Jeremiah smiled and returned to finishing his meal while Kristie waited for Aerona to share. She knew that Kristie didn't actually care and Jeremiah would much rather be reading his huge file, but Jasper was home tonight, so she decided to speak up.

"I felt pity today," she started.

"Why is this?" Jasper asked, concerned.

"I saw Rei watch as her child was given to someone else," Aerona said. "Just imagine how much worse she would have felt had I not told her the child's name ahead of time. Until I did, she wouldn't stop complaining."

"You told Rei her daughter's name before the Ceremony?" Kristie asked. "How did you even find out ahead of time?"

"Naming list was right in the office," Aerona admitted. "Real easy to look at."

"You _do_ know that's against the rules, don't you?" Kristie huffed. "It's one thing for Nurturers to break that rule, it's another for someone who doesn't even have an occupation to do the same thing."

_"Anyway_," Aerona continued. "It made me think of Edna, the former Birthmother, and how she never applied for a child. Some idiot named Larissa decided to be arrogant towards her without even trying to understand her. Edna probably didn't apply for a child because she knew how much it hurt to have your child, which you instinctually know is rightfully yours, given away and she didn't want to make someone else feel that pain. Why does Larissa even deserve to have Rei's child, anyway?"

"Aerona, Birthmothers have no right to keep whatever newchild they produce. That is the law," Kristie countered. "They are fully informed of the fact that they cannot become emotionally attached and–"

"Human nature begs to differ," Aerona stated and went to her room, not allowing anyone in for the remainder of the night.

* * *

**Any familiar names? Anyone?**

**Leave a review stating criticisms, suggestions, comments, etc! Tell me what you want to see in the next few chapters because I am getting kinda stuck. Help, please?**


	15. 7134 AD: Assigned

Aerona would have spent this year's entire annual Ceremony reflecting on her first full two years in the community, except that they were largely uneventful. The only remotely monumental things in the past two years were her nineteenth and twentieth birthdays. Her nineteenth birthday consisted of flashbacks and nightmares, which, needless to say, disrupted her day. She remembered when she was nineteen and had broken down during Roberto's lessons, perplexing her poor teacher.

She had been thinking of her family back home when she started sniffling, much to the confusion of Roberto. Aerona couldn't focus on her work and Roberto, at first, was frustrated. Once he could see that she was visibly upset, he became concerned.

"Aerona," he had asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Today's just," she struggled. "Not a good day for me."

She had fled the classroom and biked home, sobbing once she reached the comfort of her bed. Jasper had tried to comfort her once he came home, but she couldn't stand the touch of anyone, so she pushed him away. She always felt guilty when she did this to him, but she couldn't help herself, so it never seemed to stop. It was always worse on her birthday and the start of her twentieth year was just as bad.

Meanwhile, Aerona had learned that Juliet was Rei's last child and the now ex-Birthmother was now involved in Sanitation Labor. Some time this year, Astarte had given birth to her last child, and Sayen her second. In August of Aerona's nineteenth year, Zoey had her first child, and was currently waiting to be impregnated. Aerona often volunteered at the Nursery to relay information to the Birthmothers about their children, such as names and development. As a result, the Birthmothers became increasingly grateful to her. Now, as she sat in the Auditorium, she tried to remember the names of the children. Astarte's last child was Ursula, Sayen's second child was Georgiana, and Zoey's first child was Zachary. Today, Zachary was going to become a Two, and Ursula and Georgiana were going to be Ones. Sayen, like Zoey, was waiting for her next conception, but neither had any idea of when that was going to be. Aerona guessed it was all randomized.

Meanwhile, Lotus, soon to be Fifteen, and Evette, soon to be Fourteen, had become good friends. Aerona had met some of the other trainees, but they didn't interest her nearly as much as Lotus and Evette did, and soon enough, Aerona learned who their Birthmothers were. During Aerona's volunteer hours spent at Food Production, Edna had told her that she birthed Evette herself and that her friend, Fauna, had birthed Lotus. Edna told Aerona all about Fauna, who turned out to be a prankster, and Aerona grew fascinated with Edna's past.

"Fauna's children were lovely," Edna had once told her. "She had two girls and one boy. Aurelia, Lotus, and Donatello."

"Donatello?" Aerona had asked, remembering that he was in Jeremiah's year. "That's the name of an ancient renown artist."

"A _what?_"

"Nothing," Aerona muttered. "Those _are_ lovely names, though."

Aerona's focus shifted from her memories to the Ceremony of One and she searched for Ursula and Georgiana, who were both born in April. Both girls were scooting to each other, much to the amusement of their Nurturers, and Aerona chuckled. At one point, Georgiana attempted to hug Ursula clumsily and the two Nurturers had to separate them, much to the annoyance of the little babies. Aerona felt bad for them and thought of her own little Rhosyn. Oh, if the circumstances of her conception were different!

It wasn't until the middle of this year when Aerona finally confided to Jasper about her sixteenth birthday. She had been suffering from a particularly bad nightmare when Jasper had woken her up in the middle of the night, alerting her that she had been kicking in her sleep. Aerona had almost bumped her head into the wall as she rose from her bed, her heart still beating rapidly. Jasper had turned on the light in her room and she felt blinded for a few minutes. The older man waited for her to calm down. Finally, she collected herself.

"Aerona?" Jasper had asked. "Are you okay? You were kicking in your sleep."

Tired of hiding, she shook her head. "No, I'm not."

"What's wrong?"

"A lot of things," Aerona answered vaguely.

"Why don't you tell me what happened?" Jasper asked. "I will understand."

At that moment, Aerona confided all about Pryce, the reaction of her wealthy family, the nightmares she endured, the protests she had kept herself informed of, her daughter, her brother marrying her best friend, and the predictions of civil war. Jasper listened intently throughout her confession, keeping a comforting arm wrapped around her shoulders. He didn't push her for more answers and waited until she stopped crying before he spoke.

"Shh, you're okay now," he whispered, holding her.

"How do you know?" she demanded to know.

"Because," he sighed. "You're one of the strongest people I have come to know."

Aerona's thoughts shifted to some time earlier or later (she couldn't remember), when she and Jasper had had another private discussion for just them to understand. She noticed that the Ceremony of Two barely started when she began thinking about this and let her thoughts wander.

She had overheard an argument between Jasper and Kristie some time ago, which resulted in Kristie leaving to her room and Jasper staying in Aerona's. The argument was about her transition (Aerona had slacked off in her lessons, due to them being _very_ boring) and Aerona's tendency to use "imprecise language", which was causing a rift between the two. Aerona had closed the door once Jasper came in, willing to listen to his complaints.

"Kristie doesn't understand," he had muttered.

"All of that was about me, wasn't it?" Aerona asked.

"She doesn't understand anything," he had muttered again. "She blames me for your... your..."

"Mistakes, I know."

"She claims that it's because I'm not here enough! I had been around even less due to my job and Jeremiah turned out fine."

Aerona sighed, leaning on his arm. "She's just trying to figure out some sort of answer, which she'll never succeed in doing."

Jasper held her and smiled. "She's never succeeded in the things that I have hoped."

Aerona separated from him. "What would that be? I mean, other than me, of course."

"Well, as you know, being the Receiver is a difficult job. Things are... complicated," Jasper explained. "With such things, people like me, well, I mean, _us_ need something more."

"But," Aerona replied. "You and Kristie must have been _somewhat_ happy before I came."

Jasper chuckled. "Do you really think Kristie knows what it means to be happy? How can I ever be satisfied with her if she doesn't understand _that_?"

Aerona leaned again on his shoulder and hugged his arm, breathing deeply. Her room seemed to get darker and she sensed that everyone in the house was asleep. She felt strangely comfortable with this aged man, knowing that here, there wasn't really any such thing as pain. She turned to him.

"Satisfied?" she asked. "How so?"

"Well, as I said before, people like Receivers need something more. With all the burden we carry, we need someone that understands our emotions, our dreams, our desires."

"Desires?" she chuckled. "I can't help you there."

"I didn't strictly mean _Stirrings_, Aerona," Jasper laughed.

"I know," Aerona replied. "I mean, I'm twenty and you're in your sixties."

"Actually," Jasper clarified. "This job ages me terribly. I'm only thirty eight."

The cooing and babbling of the Twos had taken Aerona's attention away from that memory just in time to see Zachary become a Two. Sayen, Astarte and Zoey were in the audience, watching their children make their milestones adoringly, and Aerona had nothing to say of their reactions. She simply waited until the Ceremonies were over, wondering what assignment she would receive, as her two years of schooling were over. Aerona looked around, seeing Roberto with his Spouse, Marlowe, and their son, Hans. She knew that Hans' was becoming a Seven this year, but otherwise didn't know much about the child, except that he was smart. The Ceremonies were rather annoying, so she was relieved that the Midday Meal had rolled around and realized that she was pretty hungry.

Aerona went outside and saw the younger trainees following her, giggling at their actions. She had just picked up some food when one of the trainees, Mia, started to narrate her actions.

"Now, watch, fellow observers, as the Elsewhere woman picks up a plate and then looks at us in confusion," Mia narrated, making the other girls giggle. "She furrows her eyebrows and then raises one as she, or so I have come to conclude, is questioning why we are narrating her every movement."

"You're wrong," Aerona replied.

"And the Elsewhere woman replies to the narration."

"I was thinking that you girls have too much free time and _that_ little one," Aerona said, pointing to Mia. "Would make a fine Storyteller with that voice."

"And the Elsewhere woman–"

"Shut up," Aerona giggled and sat down with the Birthmothers (and some exes).

The Elsewhere woman sat next to Zoey, who had opened up to her since their first meeting, and scanned the table. There was Sayen and Astarte to Zoey's right and Rei would have sat down to Aerona's left had Lotus not stolen the seat, much to the amusement of the other trainees.

"As you see, we have company," Aerona joked, motioning to those still in training. "Astarte, I know you're retired. What do you work in?"

"Cotton Industry," she replied. "Of course, we don't pick the cotton ourselves. There are people driving machines designed to do that. We just put it through cotton gins to get seeds out. Now, Aerona, I know Rei is in Sanitation Labor. Do you ever see her during Volunteer Hours?"

Aerona shook her head, knowing her volunteer hours were soon to end. She turned to Lotus, who she noticed was developing quickly, and saw Evette by her side. The younger girl touched Lotus's shoulder on the other side, causing the girl to turn around, and Evette giggled as Lotus figured out who it was. Mia narrated them and Aerona wished she hadn't encouraged the girl. It wasn't long before lunch was over and the rest of the Ceremony took place.

Aerona sat down, bored with the Ceremony of Twelve, which consisted of long speeches about each new Twelve (said by Matthias, the Chief Elder). Mostly, the speeches emphasized traits that led to the Elders decision on their assignments and ended with "thank you for your childhood". Aerona only managed to stay completely alert for the assignment of one girl, Ruth, who got selected Birthmother, and she pitied Ruth. There was only one other girl chosen for that job, but Aerona couldn't remember her name, so she didn't bother.

Finally, the Twelves were dismissed and Matthias stood alone on the stage. He cleared his throat and smiled.

"Aerona, please come to the stage."

All eyes shifted to her as she nervously walked to Matthias' side. From the stage, she could spot her Birthmother friends and the immature trainees shifting in their seats. Jasper was nowhere to be seen and Kristie and Jeremiah were sitting close by each other. Jeremiah looked disinterested and Kristie seemed unimpressed. Aerona had a bad feeling that Kristie knew what she was going to be assigned and whatever that assignment was, it couldn't be good. She gulped as Matthias made his speech.

"As you know, Aerona has made quite the transition into our community," Matthias continued. "It has been over two years since she first arrived here and was faced with becoming accustomed to a new family, a new schedule, and a new set of rules. Since then, she has spent her volunteer hours at the Birthing Center and different places of labor, which helped us discover her interests."

_Birthing Center... places of labor..._

"Despite being in a new place, starting off knowing no one, she has made plenty of friends, who all have enjoyed the warmth she has to give," Matthias stated. "She has proven to be very intuitive. Her companions can attest to that."

The trainees waved to Aerona, easing her anxiety, but not altogether distracting her from the speech. Aerona then glanced at Kristie and Jeremiah, who weren't giving off any sort of expression during the whole thing. This didn't give her a good feeling, so she focused on Matthias' words more, particularly on the conclusion.

"Aerona, Number 21-51, you have been assigned the role of Birthmother," Matthias said, not able to say the usual conclusion. "Thank you for assisting us by accepting this role."

Aerona was given her rules in a folder, which she accepted, and a badge, which was rejected. The new Birthmother stormed out of the Auditorium, hopped on her bicycle, and rode to the Annex behind the House of the Old. Angry at her assignment, she pedaled quickly and parked her bike outside the House before storming to the front door of the Annex.

Rather than pressing the buzzer, she barged into the lobby, where an Attendant (she remembered him as Moises) was sitting at a desk, managing paperwork. Her presence took him by surprise.

"I'm here to see the Receiver," Aerona stated, trying to be somewhat calm. "I stayed in his Dwelling for two years."

"I know who you are," he reminded her.

Moises turned on the intercom and Jasper's voice came from the speaker. Aerona waited patiently as Moises spoke to Jasper.

"Aerona is here to see you," he said. "On what business, I'm not sure."

"Let her in," Jasper spoke softly and Moises pressed a button, unlocking the door.

Aerona entered the room, surprised at what she found. The place had shelves of books almost up to the ceiling, the couch was a little overstuffed and had fine fabric, the desk had curved legs, and the bed had fabric that looked like it was softer than silk. Jasper was sitting on the chair, focusing on a book he had almost finished, and turned his gaze to meet hers.

"I was assigned _Birthmother!_" Aerona almost shouted. "You have access to all the files and whatnot! Why couldn't you tell them something different or at least _warn_ me!"

"Aerona," he sighed. "You know how quickly Receivers age."

"What does that have to do with me?" she replied with a snarky attitude.

"I'm due for an apprentice," he answered. "As you know, some part of the selection has to do with the candidate's genes. Usually, when a Birthmother spawns a candidate for such a position, the candidate's biological sisters are monitored to see if they can be used as Birthmothers. There are very few with such genes."

"Do you not have sisters?"

Jasper shook his head.

"Well," she stammered. "Can't your brothers donate sperm or something?"

"Remember when I told you about Release?"

Aerona nodded. It had been some time after she had confessed everything to him. She kept wondering if she could go back to her homeland to see how her family was doing and what the current state of affairs were like. Aerona had confided this to Jasper, stating that she might do this through Release, as she had heard that it was going Elsewhere. Jasper almost cried when she said that she wanted Release and she asked why he was so upset. It was then when he told her the truth behind it and Aerona was nonplussed. Now that she had had some time to think about it, she wasn't as surprised by the idea, and had come to accept it.

"One of my brothers, as a baby, was labeled Inadequate. The other had committed three infractions," Jasper explained. "Now, when you first came here, you went in for a health check-up. Remember?"

Aerona nodded.

"After your check-up, I had received a notification that you had abnormal DNA," he continued. "Abnormalities similar to the ones I have. These were the ones that allowed us to Sense Beyond."

"Sense... Beyond?"

"Remember when those around you would remind you about Precision of Language whenever you made slip ups about color? This is due to their colorblindness (Aerona had figured _that_ out). Seeing Beyond is color," Jasper explained. "Hearing Beyond is hearing music."

"Are their any other 'beyonds'?" Aerona asked. "Like smelling, feeling, tasting?"

"Well," he chuckled. "Not smelling or tasting, exactly. But there has been Feeling Beyond, although it is remarkably rare among Receivers."

"What's Feeling Beyond?"

"Telepathy," Jasper explained. "Then, there's the rarest form of Sensing Beyond. It is so rare that the community doesn't have a name for it and so difficult to detect that people with it may be passed over as Receiver candidates. For instance, my Birthmother, Jessamine. I've had the curiosity of my genetic ancestry and decided to look up records of her. She had an odd condition that she was born with, which allowed her to combine senses. As a child, she might have a smell associated with a sound, but that was it. Her ability heightened to associating different shades of grey to a written word, but that was about it. Then, finally, during her pregnancy with me, her strange ability combined itself with other forms of Sensing Beyond. She associated colors with different sensations she would feel telepathically, she would hear different notes found in music when she heard certain names, and hearing or thinking of certain numbers would cause her to see them in different spaces. This amplified ability ended when she gave birth to me."

"I've heard of that," Aerona said. "It's called Synesthesia. It was rare where I came from as well."

"Part of her ability was passed down to me," Jasper explained. "Not the synesthesia, though. I think the amplification of the ability disappeared after she gave birth to me because I took the colors and music away from her."

"Did you always see colors and hear music, like I have?" Aerona asked.

"No," Jasper sighed. "I only heard low, soft music at the age of Eleven and could only see the color red by the time I turned Twelve."

Aerona huffed, looking at the ground. "So I'm here to birth your apprentice."

"Yes," Jasper stated.

"And there's nothing I can do about it."

"No."

Aerona gripped the sides of her folder, walking out of the Annex to go home, pack her clothes, move to her new dwelling among the Childless Adults, and study the rules surrounding her new job. It didn't take long, as she didn't say much to Kristie and Jeremiah except for standard goodbyes, and she just packed her clothes into the basket attached to her bike. She left to her dwelling, where she would live alone, and sighed.

Aerona felt defeated.


	16. 7135 AD: Birthmother

Aerona had read through the entire folder, wondering if she, like the other girls, would have any time for training. Jasper had said that he needed an apprentice soon, so they probably thought that she should be impregnated as soon as possible. She had shuddered at the thought and went to bed, not dreaming anything.

She woke up that morning, relieved at having not to deal with the nightly tellings or the morning sharing of dreams. However, she missed Jasper, so she hoped that her job left some time to visit him. Aerona remembered that occasionally, he would have something to do in a neighboring community, so she hoped that she wouldn't mistakenly choose _that_ day to visit. She ate her breakfast quickly and left her dwelling, navigating her way to the Birthing Center on one of the floors in the Hospital.

Aerona greeted Desmond, the clerk on the first floor, and went to the elevator. As soon as she pressed the numbered button, two girls were racing down the hallway, calling for her to keep the door open. She stuck out her arm, laughing at the fact that this was exactly what had happened over two years ago, when she first got her health check-up.

"Airie!" they both greeted when they made it. "You're training with us now!"

"Although considering how much time you spent with us, there's probably not much you don't know already," pointed out Lotus.

"You might skip the training altogether," Evette followed. "Which we wish we could do, as the little lectures are really boring."

"Sayen and Zoey are excited to have you with them," Lotus added.

Aerona chuckled weakly, her mind still on yesterday's conversation with Jasper. She was just there to birth his apprentice, thanks to her "abnormal DNA", and then... what? Two more babies? She knew at least one of them would be a girl, and in any case, girls would grow to be Birthmothers in hopes of spawning a potential candidate. They really _were_ keeping it in the family.

"And the others?" she finally asked.

"About the same," Evette said. "Although I think it would have made sense if you were a Nurse. You're smarter than a lot of them."

"That doesn't matter," Aerona huffed. "I'm stuck as Birthmother."

* * *

Aerona was getting herself situated among the trainees. She knew that all the trainees were bunched up in one room, so she went there, seeing Lotus, Evette, Mia, and that new Twelve named Ruth. Mia was entertaining Ruth with some story she made up about two kids fighting over comfort objects. She could see Ruth was only half-paying attention and raised an eyebrow, noticing Lotus and Evette saving a seat for her. She sat down beside them and they leaned on her, prompting her to wrap her arms around them. Aerona thought it funny that, despite them being in the middle of adolescence, they still acted like young children. She waited for a single Nurse to come into the room to instruct the trainees and one walked in, making some of the girls giggle.

Evette looked over to Lotus and whispered. "He gives you Stirrings, doesn't he?"

"Hypocrite."

The Nurse, whom Aerona recognized as a twenty-something named Louis, spotted Aerona and motioned her to come forward. She struggled to get out of the younger girls' grip, making them chuckle, and stepped to his side. He spoke softly, leaning closely to her.

"I've been told that you are to skip training completely," Louis said. "Benjamin will show you to the conception room."

_Skip training?_ Aerona sighed, hating the thought of becoming pregnant again. The first child she willingly gave up due to her circumstances, but now, she had the awful feeling that she would bond with the child. How would she feel when she would go to the Ceremony and see her baby being given to a couple she didn't know? She had seen the other Birthmothers feel ambivalent about the whole thing.

Aerona stepped outside, not noticing the girls waving goodbye to her, and saw Benjamin walking toward her. He smiled politely and stopped beside her, greeting her.

"Has Nurse Louis informed you?"

"Of the conception today?" Aerona replied. "Yes. I've been told that I would skip training completely."

They started walking. "Of course, with the amount of time that you've spent here, you'd know just as much as a finished trainee."

The conception room was at the end of the hall on the left side and Benjamin opened the door for her. She entered, seeing a single bed and several petri dishes and other equipment on tables. Benjamin closed the door behind her and she felt increasingly paranoid, not really knowing why she did. Benjamin walked over to one table, cleaning some equipment, and pointed to the bed.

"Go lay on there," he instructed her. "You're going to need to take a pap test."

"A _what?" _she asked, realizing that she would have to remove her underwear. "To - to check for diseases?"

"Yes," he replied. "As far as I know, you weren't at risk for any. This is simply a precautionary measure for your pregnancy."

"How long would it take?"

"The results should be immediate," he stated. "I always thought this ridiculous, but rumors say that it had, once upon a time, taken three weeks for results. All right, now spread your legs."

Aerona did as she was told, feeling a weird, slightly painful stretching feeling as the test was conducted. He had taken a few cells out of her body and placed them on a petri dish before he placed the dish into a machine. As he had said, the results were immediate, and she had been clean.

The Nurse gathered some other tools, including a long needle (this bothered Aerona somewhat), and the woman closed her eyes, trying not to think about her first time being impregnated. She kept breathing slowly, telling herself that she would fine and gripped the sides of the bed. Benjamin walked over to her, holding the needle in his hand, and set aside a little table for his tools. First, he used a speculum, giving Aerona that awkward, stretching feeling again. He then used the needle and injected the fluid, which almost caused Aerona to panic. She tried to push away whatever negative thought crept in her mind as Benjamin finished inseminating her. It was surprisingly quick and he withdrew the needle, cleaning his tools afterward.

"I assume you read the rules in your folder," Benjamin spoke as he was sterilizing a speculum.

"Yes," she replied. "For the months of my pregnancy, I am to reside in the Hospital and blah blah blah."

"Do you know which room you'll be staying in?"

"No."

"From what I know, you'll be staying with Sayen and Zoey."

"I know where that is."

Aerona left the conception room and strolled to her new hospital room, seeing no one in there. She decided to read over the rules again, knowing she would be living here for a long time.


	17. 7135 AD: Pregnant

Aerona had spent the first few months with Sayen and Zoey. Sayen was still waiting for her conception date and grew bored of her situation, wishing that she could join her laboring friends. Zoey, on the other hand, was hoping that her next conception was in the more distant future, as she dreaded the thought of labor. Zoey was remarkably lazy in her childhood, which made it impossible for Aerona to imagine her harvesting crops or being a member of the Maintenance Crew. A month into Aerona's pregnancy, Zoey was called in for the conception of her second child.

A few months in and Aerona was called in for a blood test. She had sat in the same room where her second child was conceived and gave blood to the doctor, who checked it for samples of fetal blood. The test was relatively quick and Aerona sat up, looking over at the doctor.

"Why am I having a blood test?" Aerona asked.

"I'm checking the fetal blood to make sure the fetus isn't at risk for certain disorders as well as determine its sex," the doctor replied. "You were chosen because of your abnormal DNA. Our other Birthmothers do not have the same risks."

"And what are the results?"

The doctor waited for a moment before looking at the results and smiling. "The fetus is male. As for sex-linked genetic disorders, he isn't at risk of any."

Aerona was escorted back into her hospital room and wanted to go to sleep, but the curious trainees wanted to know what happened in the lab room. She refused to answer their questions and went to sleep, having no dreams.

* * *

Sayen was pregnant as well and she joined Zoey in whatever they did. Aerona found herself growing more irritated by the Birthmothers around her every day, unlike her emotions toward them during her volunteer hours. She wondered if it had anything to do with her pregnancy.

Aerona recognized all the signs she exhibited due to her experience with her first pregnancy, which started to remind her of Pryce, and she began to withdraw from everyone. She wished she hadn't been chosen as a Birthmother to give Jasper an apprentice. Whenever she was left alone, she would rub her growing abdomen, wishing that this little male developing inside her wouldn't have to live the life Jasper did. Jasper was often in crippling pain, from what she remembered.

The other Birthmothers started to notice Aerona's growing dislike for them and failed to pinpoint her reasons. Even Lotus, who was one of Aerona's favorites, fell out of favor. However, Aerona noticed that Lotus had kept the ring anyway and wondered if she could repair her relationship with them. Somehow, she started to forget the names she once previously knew and felt herself becoming less able to feel basic contentment. The Nurses constantly checked on her, seeing that she was physically healthy. They also noticed that she was less willing to get up except for using the bathroom and bathing. Only during bathing did Aerona feel at peace.

* * *

One day, late in the pregnancy, Aerona got a surprise visit.

"Jasper!" she said, her voice finally indicating even mild happiness.

"Aerona, how are you?" he asked. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit you. I had to travel to the other Communities constantly."

"Can't you lend me a book or something?" Aerona asked, hugging his arm. "It gets so boring here."

"I'm sorry, Aerona, I can't," he replied. "You know the other Birthmothers will get to them if I do. The Elders will _not _like that."

Jasper held her like his own daughter and kissed her cheek, making her feel warm. Aerona became more aware of the other Birthmothers watching them, but she didn't care. They stayed like that for minutes before he released her. She smiled at him.

"Are you going to visit more often?"

"I don't know if I can, Aerona."

"Why not?" she begged. "I miss you when you're gone! Please come by more. How much longer can you stay?"

Jasper sighed. "Not much longer. I have another meeting with the Elders."

Aerona sat against the bedpost, pouting and looking away. She could see the other Birthmothers peering through the windows of the small room and pulled a string to draw the curtains. She curled up in a fetal position and held her hands over her protruding abdomen. Jasper got closer to her.

"Can I feel?" he asked, extending a hand.

She sat normally and let him place his hand right where the child's feet would be. Right then, the male fetus started to kick, mildly annoying Aerona. She watched Jasper smile.

"He's going to a bouncing little baby, isn't he?" Jasper whispered.

Aerona rubbed her stomach. "Sometimes I fantasize about nursing him."

"Hmm, I know, Aerona," he said, kissing her temple and leaving.

* * *

It was September and Aerona started to feel contractions.

She let out a yelp at the feeling of her first contraction and a trainee notified a Nurse, who called for a trained Doctor. It wasn't long before professionals were strapping her arms down and putting her legs in the stirrups, telling her to push the baby out. It was more difficult than birthing Rhosyn, as she was now fighting against gravity to push out the little boy. It had taken a few hours (and was somewhat more painful) before the male's head appeared from her birth canal. The Doctor let her rest a little while he pulled the baby out, severing the umbilical cord. She saw the baby being washed before he was sent down to the Nursery and she fell asleep from exhaustion.

When she woke up, all she felt was emptiness.

* * *

**Sorry I haven't updated in so long. I have been distracted by my other stories. Oh well.**


	18. 7135 AD: Ceremony

Aerona was allowed to sit with Jasper at the annual Ceremony. By the end of 7135, Aerona had moved back into her Dwelling among the Childless Adults. She, having had two children in her lifetime, found the name oddly ironic and would occasionally chuckle to herself about it. She would sometimes think of Rhosyn, but her thoughts were more focused on the male she had birthed for Jasper. She had seen his bright blue eyes and fell in love with the child, who had been crying and reaching out for his mother. Aerona had been in recovery for a month before she was allowed to return home. She wasn't allowed in the Nurturing Center, however, due to everyone knowing the connection between Aerona and the pale-eyed newchild.

She had left her dwelling early in order to make it to the Annex, where Jasper was slowly getting out. Aerona had tied her growing hair back for the occasion and Jasper took notice, commenting on it.

"How'd you do your hair without a mirror?" he teased.

"Oh, shut up, Jasper," she chuckled. "Like you look much better?"

"Well, excuse me, Aerona," he replied. "It's not my fault my job ages me ten years overnight. Now, come here."

Aerona stepped closer and he gently placed his hand over her arm, kissing her cheek and smiling. He nodded to her bicycle and mounted his own, pedaling a short distance ahead of her, and she laughed at the sight.

"What? No broken limbs today?"

"Aerona!"

She followed closely behind him and they made it to the Auditorium. They parked their bicycles in the appropriate ports and walked in, looking for their reserved seats. Jasper found his seat among the other Elders and invited Aerona to sit at his side, refusing to let go of her hand. Aerona recognized the Elders, most importantly, the Chief Elder Matthias. She knew that he would be announcing the assignments belonging to the Twelves and that an administrative worker in the Nurturing Center would read off the names of the newchildren, giving them to their new families. She waited eagerly for the Ceremony of One.

"The new Ones are always cute, aren't they?" Matthias chuckled to Jasper.

Aerona felt Jasper squeeze her hand a bit and sighed, watching as the Nurturers held the newchildren. The older ones wriggled from the arms of their caretakers, wanting to explore the world around them and meet the faces of the older children and adults in the room. The younger ones could not crawl yet, so they would remain asleep in the arms of the adults, oblivious to the ruckus around them. Jasper let Aerona hang on to his whole arm.

Aerona only caught the name of the female right before her own child. The female was named Nasrin and she was given to a couple of laborers. Finally, Aerona's son was to be announced.

A couple named Blake and Rhea walked up the stage. Aerona remembered Blake from the school, as he had instructed Nines. She couldn't remember Rhea from anywhere nor did she bother trying, so she turned her attention to the sleeping male in the Nurturer's arms.

"Number 34," the Administrative Worker announced. "Emanuel."


	19. 7136 AD: Visit to a Predecessor

"So when is her next conception scheduled?"

Aerona overheard Jasper asking this to one of the Nurses outside. She was comforting one of the Birthmothers, who was afraid of the painful labor that awaited childbirth. Somehow, Aerona kept forgetting everyone's names, so she had to keep asking everyone again and again. She only remembered Evette and Lotus. Those two girls were inseparable.

Jasper knocked on the door and smiled at Aerona.

"Aerona," he smiled. "How would you like to go on a little field trip?"

"To where?" she asked, shifting positions on the bed.

"You get to leave?" one Birthmother asked. Aerona squinted at her name tag, which read 'Dianne'.

Aerona stood up and walked over to Jasper, hugging him loosely and looking outside. No unusual activity was happening, but there were the occasional Twelves goofing off and being reprimanded by the Nurses. During her pregnancy with Emanuel, she would have thought it annoying, but now she was amused by it. She couldn't pinpoint what about the pregnancy made her feel isolated, but it likely had something to do with the reminder of her first one. Her memory was becoming weaker, she noticed.

Jasper touched her back, making her chuckle. Jasper smiled.

"The only people that would go on field trips are young children and their chaperones."

"Are you not young?" Jasper asked. "Am I not a capable chaperone?"

"You're only capable as long as you can run after me instead of _limp."  
_

"Aerona!" Jasper said with a stern voice. Somehow, Aerona couldn't stop giggling.

Within less than an hour, Aerona and Jasper were outside his Annex, waiting for a vehicle to transport them to other communities. Aerona, no longer in Birthmother's clothes, was wearing the standard tunic and pants. Her clothes sported the Community's insignia and she tied her growing hair in a bun, letting a few strands of hair frame her face. Her curls made her hairdo rather messy, but she doubted anyone would pay attention. Mostly, others would pay attention to her clothes, and more importantly, her heterochromia.

"I'm surprised we didn't have you visit other communities before," Jasper commented. "Young children usually go for field trips. Did you have any, where you came from?"

"I have a feeling we had this conversation before. My school did have field trips, but they were mostly to museums and whatnot. There was one field trip in which we attended a concert, but I fell asleep."

"I wish the people here could appreciate the arts."

"Oh, _no,_ you don't."

Jasper gave her a funny look as a vehicle approached them. There was a man in his sixties in the driver's seat. He invited Jasper to sit in front, but the older man opted to sit with Aerona in the back. He held her hand as the doors automatically closed and the man drove off, taking a long route around the Community, heading west.

"Which community are we visiting?" Aerona asked.

"Luopiothorpe," said the driver. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Srecko. I've been driving this Receiver to Luopiothorpe for over forty years. Might I ask your business in accompanying him?"

"Let's just say I'm on a field trip," she replied.

"I thought only Receivers were cryptic," Srecko answered. "I _assume_ you're from Hurupolis."

"Emphasis on 'assume', Srecko," Aerona replied. "Now, in case you're curious as to my identity, my name is Aerona, age 22."

"Might I ask your occupation?"

"You can ask, but I cannot guarantee an answer."

Srecko looked back at Jasper. "I wish you would bring more companions like this one. Makes a trip easier."

Jasper smiled, bittersweet. "There aren't more. Why do you think I gave her the privilege of coming along?"

Srecko gave a hearty laugh and smiled when they passed by fields of pretty, light-colored flowers being picked by several laborers. They all glanced at the small vehicle, containing a Receiver and a Birthmother, and waved shortly before returning to work. Aerona admired the flowers and wished she could pick one for herself and Jasper. Maybe she could even bring a few to Evette and Lotus.

"Flax fields," Srecko sighed. "To make linen. You'd think they'd have more advanced technology to harvest this stuff, but oh well. I guess they need places for Laborers."

"The flowers are pretty," she murmured to herself.

Srecko chuckled. "This man has said the same thing on our several trips to and from Luopiothorpe. Once, he stopped the vehicle just to pick one."

Aerona thought that she would do this on the way back and leaned against Jasper, closing her eyes. She listened to his low chuckle and felt him pat her head. Srecko didn't pay any attention to it and kept driving.

When they reached Luopiothorpe, Aerona saw very few factory buildings and remembered the type of labor each community was responsible for, as Roberto had taught her in her lessons. She remembered that the communities had an interdependent relationship with one another and understood why there was the need for airports and large trucks. She wondered if these communities had a defense system of any kind and guessed that they had one, albeit very basic.

They had finally entered Luopiothorpe and Aerona noticed that none of the children wore braids. The girls wore their hair in buns and the males in ponytails until they reached a certain age. The buildings were also smaller and the clothes were slightly different. They sported the insignia for their community and the fabric was a lighter shade of grey. She also noticed that the population was a bit smaller.

"Well, here we are," Srecko said. "Do you want someone to walk you through the community and give you a tour?"

"No, thank you," Jasper replied. "We'll get out right here."

"Okay then," Srecko said. "If you need a driver, just notify whoever you need to and I'll be back here, at this same place."

"Will do, bye."

Srecko let them out and drove off, leaving Aerona and Jasper be. He linked arms with her and let his opposite hand rest on hers. They walked together on the edge of the community, not taking notice of those who stared at them.

"How is your family?" Aerona asked.

"Jeremiah moved out," Jasper said. "Now I don't have to live with Kristie anymore."

"I can see why you'd hate to live with her. A person who Releases people for a living and a person adamant against the practice is a couple made in Hell."

"You have no idea how much I hated her."

"Do you realize who you're talking to?" Aerona chuckled. "The one who escaped possible war?"

"You're right. I'm sorry," he said. He kissed her hand.

They looked ahead, seeing the flowers on the flax plants. Jasper squeezed her hand with affection and Aerona couldn't restrain a smile. She sighed deeply.

"Did you have a best friend, growing up?"

He looked at her. "By their definition or by ours?"

Aerona shrugged. "Either. Both."

Jasper changed directions, leading them to an Annex behind the House of the Old, where he might rest in the event that the Elders of Luopiothorpe needed him to stay overnight. She wondered if it was any different to the Annex back in Hurupolis and thought may there were different books and different color bedsheets. Jasper looked at the door and sighed, opting to walk in a different direction. Aerona noticed they were walking toward a Birthing Center, which was built as an add-on to the Hospital.

"I had two close friends: Joe and Raina. Joe had been assigned Fish Hatchery Attendant and Raina went off to be a Pilot. I believe she was trained by a woman named Lorelei, but I'm not sure. I know you told me about your friend, Ismene."

"Mmm," she hummed. "She was poor and sweet. I loved her, but not in the beginning. I guess I only realized it after I left her and my child."

"Rhosyn."

"I think she's five now. I just hope she doesn't have any problems."

"Like her father?"

"Yeah."

They remained silent for some time, walking together and not minding the people staring. They all knew Jasper was an Elder, as he was donning the white robes, but Aerona remained a mystery to them. Some of the superiors had to remind the laborers to get back to work, but even they were fascinated. Aerona looked warily at them.

"Are you already forgetting your first days in Hurupolis?"

"No, I'm remembering them."

"Don't mind those people, then."

They walked by a school, where a recreational period started. The children were busying themselves with games when they spotted Aerona and stared with awe. Somehow, they sensed her difference in a way they wouldn't sense it in an individual from another Community. Aerona smiled politely and a little girl waved, aware that due to her proximity to an Elder, she may not have been allowed to speak to her.

"I keep thinking of little Emanuel," Aerona sighed. "You have any idea of how he's doing?"

Jasper nodded. "I keep track of the boy's development. He is noted to have remarkable cognitive function for his age."

"He learns quickly."

"Yes," Jasper replied. "He already shows promise as a candidate."

She leaned her head against him. "It's funny, thinking about my son. This isn't the life I imagined for myself or my children."

"Something, isn't it?"

Aerona chuckled. "You don't imagine yourself or your son being one of the few understanding true pain when you think about the future, definitely not where I came from. I never imagined myself being a mother at such a young age either."

Inexplicably, Aerona shed a tear. Jasper wiped it off with a bent index finger. She sighed.

"Do you want to go back now?" Jasper asked. "Maybe pick a flower from the flax fields?"

Aerona smiled. "I'd love that."

* * *

"Hello, Aerona."

The twenty-two year old stood outside the door that led to Jasper's private room. She looked at Moises, the Attendant, who must have been in his thirties by now. He smiled politely as Jasper led Aerona into his Annex, closing the door behind him, and Aerona took a seat in the overstuffed couch. She last came here to protest against her assignment, which she had come to accept by now, and it amazed her that she had been here for almost four years.

"How have you been?" he asked. "Sorry I haven't been visiting as much."

"It's all right," she replied. "Things haven't been too painful, have they?"

"Not lately. When I lived with Kristie, it used to be much worse."

"Let me guess," she said. "The stress she caused you acted as a trigger. It's no wonder you hardly came home."

She then sighed and leaned on him, letting him put an arm around her. "I miss living with you, though."

"I miss coming home to you."

She got up and looked at the speaker, proceeding to go into a closet, which hid a music player. Aerona stared at the thing and smiled. Jasper watched as she found a small disc and placed it in the player, smiling when he heard music emit from the speaker. Aerona came out of the closet, spinning slowly.

"My brother and I used to love this song," she hummed. "Hmm mmm mmm mm mmm..."

"It's lovely."

She spun around, her arms making smooth movements, enchanting him. She seemed so happy in that moment, singing an ancient song of her memory (not to mention his own). His yearn for closeness prompted him to get up and dance with her, making her chuckle.

"All your life, you've never seen a woman taken by the wind," he sang.

"Will you stay if she promised you heaven, will you ever win? Will you ever win?" Aerona responded with almost perfect melody. "Rhiannon."

She then spoke normally. "I love the name of this song. I always thought of naming my future daughter after this. Once, my brother thought I was going to be impregnated by a starving artist or something. That was six years ago."

He looked down at her oddly colored eyes and kissed her forehead.

"I love you."

She leaned on his chest. "I love you too."

* * *

After she left Jasper in a good mood, she visited the House of the Old. She didn't have to come back for her conception until tomorrow. Normally, she would have been instructed to stay at the Birthing Unit for a good couple of weeks before a conception, but having Jasper's favor had its advantages. Though she was still vulnerable to the law, she could afford to make a few minor breaches in the rules and make a few choices of her own. One of those choices was visiting the House of the Old.

"Hello, Aerona," said the clerk at the front desk. "I haven't seen you in about two years."

"I was thinking of helping with the feedings," she admitted. "That's not filled, is it?"

"Of course not, go right ahead."

Aerona walked off into that room, murmuring, "I don't even have to sign in."

Aerona spotted a woman in her late seventies being served warm soup. She noticed that the woman was sitting alone and felt sorry for her, so she decided to sit with her. The old woman beamed at her arrival for reasons unknown to Aerona.

"Hello, uhh," said the old woman. "Sorry. It's hard to read name tags from here."

"Aerona," she said. "And your name is–"

"Rowan."

Aerona sat down beside Rowan and grabbed a spoon, handing it to Rowan. Rowan gave her a funny look and shrugged, taking a sip of her meal with caution. Aerona saw something different about Rowan, but she could not pinpoint it. She remembered when she first came to the edge of the agricultural fields and met that girl, Olive, who had felt the same sense of confusion.

"The people here think they're less competent than they are," Aerona said. "I remember because I volunteered once."

"I don't think I saw you, then. Otherwise, I would have remembered you. You have a rather unique appearance," Rowan replied. "I've heard about you, Elsewhere Girl, especially about your close relationship to the Receiver."

"I visited him just before I came here," Aerona admitted. "We talk about a lot of things."

"I take it you're a Birthmother, then," Rowan said mischievously.

"Do you know that because of hearsay?"

Rowan gulped down some of her soup and placed her spoon on a napkin. Aerona heard the chatter of the other elderly, mostly about trivial matters and memories, but none of the discussions could compare to the richness of her interactions with Jasper. She couldn't stop thinking about their time dancing.

"No, actually," Rowan continued. "I knew because you're close with the Receiver."

"What does that have to do with it?"

Rowan pushed her bowl away, allowing a Caretaker to take it back to the kitchen. Aerona realized how separated they were from the rest of the people in the room. Rowan sighed, deep in thought.

"I was a Birthmother when I was younger. I, too, had a close relationship with the Receiver at the time."

"What was his name?"

"Her," Rowan corrected. "Her name was Nessa. She trained the one whom you've grown close to. Whatever he is showing you now, Nessa has shown me. As much as everyone wants so desperately to ignore it, a Receiver and a Birthmother are destined to be drawn to one another. It's happening to Jasper, it happened to Nessa, and I'm sure it happened to her mentor as well. The Birthmother that is drawn to such an individual usually ends up birthing their apprentice, or in my case, the mother of the apprentice."

"Jessamine."

"And I'm sure you're due to birth his apprentice."

"I already have," Aerona said. "His name is Emanuel. He's a year old and is showing remarkable promise."

Rowan sighed, her hands folded on the table. "Do you know why I don't talk to these people here?"

"Same reason I'll pick up that habit one day."

Aerona checked her watch and got up to leave, but looked at Rowan one last time.

"Who do you think my son will be drawn to, when his time comes?"

Rowan tapped her chin in thought, staring into blank space, smiling at memories and whatever else was on her mind. She turned her head to Aerona, her eyes brighter than they were before.

"I can't say now, Aerona, but I'm sure she'll be lovely."


	20. 7137 AD: Baby Girl

Aerona was impregnated the day after. When a few weeks passed, she was brought in for a blood test. The Doctor had to confirm that there were no dangerous genetic deviations. During the process, Aerona learned that her child was female. She was brought in for subsequent ultrasounds and each time she saw the fetus on the screen, she would feel a bit warmer than she had before. Aerona was starting to bond with her baby girl.

Some time after, Lotus was conceiving for the first time. She was placed in the same room as Aerona and they often chatted. Evette, now a Fifteen, was finishing her last year of training and was keen on looking after the two pregnant women. Aerona found this humorous.

"Is the baby kicking?" Evette asked Lotus, who was rubbing her abdomen.

"It hasn't been very long, Evette!" Lotus replied. "Have you learned nothing during your training?"

Aerona laughed. "Lotus, do you know the sex of your baby?"

Lotus shrugged. "I didn't pay attention during the ultrasounds. What about you?"

Aerona smiled. "A little girl. I can already tell she's going to be trouble. Aren't you, baby girl?"

Lotus and Evette laughed at Aerona's tendency to speak to her unborn child in a high-pitched voice. The fetus moved around in the womb, causing mild discomfort to her mother, yet bringing her contentment as well. Evette looked on with curiosity and placed her hand on Aerona's abdomen, smiling as she felt the baby kick. Even the younger trainees were peering at them through the glass window and Lotus made a hand gesture, indicating that they should leave. Aerona was still focused on her child.

"Hey, baby girl," Aerona whispered. "It's Mommy. Mommy Aerona. Say hello, Rhiannon."

Evette raised an eyebrow. "Rhiannon? How would you know the baby's name?"

"I don't," Aerona replied. "But that's what I like to call her. Baby Rhiannon."

"Rhiannon," Lotus murmured. "What a lovely name."

Lotus and Evette spent the rest of their time talking to Rhiannon, who responded with enthusiastic kicks. Aerona even started singing her favorite song to her, finding the eponymous song suiting. She imagined her daughter giving joy to those around her, her pale eyes and curly hair adorning her lovely visage, her voice enchanting those lucky enough to receive her.

Aerona started to wish she could keep Rhiannon. Throughout her months of pregnancy, she would fantasize about teaching her to read and write, playing the song she loved in order to teach the baby her name, and watching her play with her brother Emanuel and her sister Rhosyn. Sometimes she would compare Rhosyn and Rhiannon and feel a strange pit form in her stomach.

She would let Lotus and Evette talk to the baby, enjoying the baby's responses. Of course, all the unborn Rhiannon could do with kick and discern the sound of the voices belonging to her mother and to her 'aunts'. Aerona could have swore that Rhiannon was trying to crawl out of her abdomen in order to reach those that had expressed anything close to love.

* * *

"Rhiannon," she whispered to her baby. "Someone new is here."

Jasper was at the door, smiling at Aerona. She waved at him, motioning for him to come to her bed. She moved over a bit, allowing him to sit beside her, and she placed one of his hands on her abdomen. She leaned against him and he smiled.

"She's my Rhiannon," she murmured. "Speak to her. She listens."

"Your Rhiannon?" he chuckled.

"I can't imagine her with any other name, Jasper," she replied.

"Okay," he giggled again. "Rhiannon it is. Hello, Rhiannon."

Aerona felt her kick again. Jasper held Aerona more tightly and rubbed his hand over her belly. He felt more kicks and let out a low laugh. Aerona almost cried.

"Rhiannon," he said. "It's Jasper. You have a brother, did you know that? His name is Emanuel. Are you going to have blue eyes like him? Of course, you are, girlie. Little Rhiannon."

Lotus and Evette were watching from outside and Aerona motioned for them to come in. They gestured politely to the Receiver, who chuckled at their attempts, and the two girls sat beside Aerona. Lotus tried to balance out her own protruding abdomen and Evette leaned on Aerona's arm, stroking the sides of her belly. Aerona looked at Evette, kissing her forehead.

"What am I to her, Aerona?" Evette asked. "An 'auntie'?"

"Auntie Lotus," said the other girl. "And Auntie Evette. It sounds funny, but it's cute and Rhiannon likes it."

"I love you, Rhiannon," Aerona whispered under her breath, soon realizing that Lotus and Evette heard her.

"I don't know what it means, but it sounds pretty," they both agreed.

Jasper and Aerona stared into each other's eyes, both giving each other a nod of understanding. Their noses poked one another before Jasper said his goodbyes and left for some official business.

* * *

_"Rhiannon!" Aerona called out. "Come back here, it's dinnertime!"_

_A bouncy four year old girl with curls in her hair and playful blue eyes came back into the large estate. Inside, an eleven year old girl with the same appearance, Rhosyn, was helping Ismene set up the table. Aerona's brother, Macsen, gave Ismene a kiss on the cheek, and smiled when the gesture was returned. Six-year-old Emanuel, who was playing with a toy truck, wrinkled his nose and went back to his business. Rhiannon, still a little bit dirty, tackled Emanuel and laughed. The two children wrestled for a bit before Rhosyn separated them, much to their annoyance._

_"Rhiannon's growing up fast," Aerona whispered to Ismene._

_Rhiannon trotted to her side, wanting to be picked up while the rest were sitting at the neat table. Macsen held Ismene's hand and the blonde girl blushed. Rhosyn made sure that Emanuel sat still when he ate and cut up pieces of meat whenever she felt that she couldn't trust him with the knife. Emanuel looked over at Rhiannon, calling her over and calling her 'Sissy'. He called her 'Rhi' as well, and at some point, he called her 'Rhi-Sissy'. Aerona couldn't help but laugh._

_"Rhi-Sissy," he called._

_"Emmy," she replied and turned to her mother. "Put me down."_

_Rhiannon wrestled out of Aerona's arms and went to sit beside Emanuel. He shared his food with her and her fingers got messy. Emanuel wrapped her fingers in a cloth napkin and Rhiannon let out a high pitched giggle._

_"Uncle Maxie says to use napkins," Emanuel chirped._

_"That's right," Macsen affirmed. "Otherwise your hands will be dirty."_

_"Are they clean now?" Rhiannon asked, holding her hands out for Aerona to see. _

_Aerona nodded and kissed Rhiannon's cheek. _

_At some point, Macsen and Aerona were in the bathroom together, putting Emanuel and Rhiannon in the tub. Rhiannon poked Emanuel's stomach and the two laughed, splashing water at each other. Emanuel embraced Rhiannon in a hug and Aerona saw Macsen smile._

_"Remember when we were that young?" Macsen said. "And Mother and Father would put _us _in the tub?"_

_"Then, when we reached a certain age, Mother was all 'Aerona Meita-Gwendolyn Argall, do not show such indecency!'"_

_"We still tried to take baths though," Macsen remembered fondly. "I think these two will be the same way. Look how close they are."_

_Emanuel and Rhiannon both stood up, announcing that they were done. Macsen took care of Emanuel while Aerona lifted Rhiannon out of the tub. She wrapped her in a fuzzy towel and tickled her stomach, making the young girl emit a loud, playful laugh that made her brother smile._

_Somehow, everything seemed to fade away; first her surroundings, then her brother and the brother of her little girl. Only Rhiannon was left alone with Aerona and pretty soon, she started to fade away too. Aerona started to cry out for her daughter, who was letting out an equally depressing cry, and she was let alone in the darkness._

"Aerona?" Jasper asked.

Aerona woke up with a start and saw that she was alone with him in the room and the curtains have been closed. She looked down and saw that little Rhiannon was still a part of her, safe and sound in her protective womb. Remembering her dream, she started to sob in Jasper's arms. He didn't leave her for the entire day.

* * *

Some months later, Rhiannon decided it was time to come out.

It had been a bit earlier than the Doctors had predicted, but they didn't fret, as the baby was premature by only a week. It had been a quick and easy birth and Aerona caught a peek of little Rhiannon as they bathed her and took her away. The baby girl cried out for her mother and Aerona, struggling against the straps, tried to reach out for her. Never had she been so in love with a child.

After her recovery, Jasper came into the room. Aerona was still very tired.

"Hi, Aerona," Jasper whispered. "How are you feeling?"

"Mmmph," she mumbled. "Tired."

"I went to the Nurturing Center," Jasper whispered. "I looked up your daughter's name. It was _going_ to be Hester."

Aerona crinkled her nose. "And?"

He sat beside her, rubbing her hand. "I changed it."

She tried to prop herself up and leaned forward slightly. "To what?"

Jasper smiled and laughed. "Little Airie, I think you know what."

Aerona burst into tears of joy.

* * *

**Hello!**

**Now that we've gotten to the birth of Rhiannon (if any of you read Dissenters and Descendants, and most of you probably have, you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about), here's where the fun begins. I will probably write about the interactions between Rhiannon and Emanuel in their youth.**


	21. 7137 AD: Nursing

**To "Guest": Your last review/request prompted me to start this chapter. I was nearly forgetting about it due to the other Giver fanfics that I am writing concurrently, plus a fanfiction story for The Land Before Time. I am making most of my Giver fanfics part of a series. There's more details about it on my profile.**

* * *

"Jasper," she said, pushing herself up once she had stopped crying. "Do I really still have to produce another child?"

"According to our law, yes," he replied. "You have to produce three children."

"I already had my three."

Jasper looked away and back at her again, tapped her knee affectionately, and sighed.

"I'll see what I can do."

A month later, Aerona was recovered. She was called down to an office through a speaker. Aerona was told that the office was one floor down, so she opted to take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Aerona opened the door to the stairwell and decided to slide down the railing, thinking about how, once upon a time, her mother would have admonished her for such a thing. Before, when she was still the tender age of fifteen (some eight years ago), she would have done it out of rebelliousness. Now, that she no longer had an image to maintain, there was no sense of defiance.

She almost fell over when she got to the end and she opened the door leading to the floor she arrived at. Aerona looked for the office number and found the door marked with it, opening it and going right on in.

A man named Johannes sat with his arms folded on his desk, reading a sheet of paper with a statement. Some woman stood behind him and Aerona read her name tag: Raghnaid.

"Thank you for coming," Raghnaid said.

"Do you know why you're here?" asked Johannes.

"No."

"You are being decertified," Johannes explained. "You've already produced the children we needed. You don't need to produce another."

"But I only made two as part of my assignment."

"We don't need another from you," Raghnaid replied. "Until the Elders determine what sort of labor you will do, you are free to volunteer at any facility. This will happen for a month."

Johannes took over. "Your normal clothes will be delivered to you at the first floor. Wait there. You will be given directions to your new home for the Childless Adults. Pack whatever you plan to bring there."

* * *

Aerona dropped off her things at her new home and went right back to the Hospital. Instead of going up where she usually worked, she made a turn to the Nurturing Center, where the babies were kept.

She tried to remember the number assigned to her baby and looked for the room where she would normally be kept. Aerona was stopped by a Nurturer she recognized from a few years ago.

"Luke," she said. "Hello."

"Volunteering here?" he asked. "Why don't you go sign in?"

She did just that and he motioned to her, telling her to follow him. Aerona walked behind him through a long corridor and, from what seemed like sheer luck, he assigned her to the room containing Newchildren 21-30. He opened the door and she walked in, seeing a couple of Nurturers take care of small babes. Aerona walked around and saw a single baby with blue eyes, kicking her blanket off. _Rhiannon..._

"Do you mind feeding that one?" asked one Nurturer named Yonita.

"No, I don't mind."

Yonita gave Aerona a clean, full bottle, which she fed little Rhiannon with. Aerona rocked her gently before holding the bottle up to Rhiannon's lips and Rhiannon gulped down the milk with gusto. Rhiannon even tried to hold up the bottle herself, but when she tried, it dropped on her torso. Aerona chuckled.

"Number 23 is a strange one," Luke commented. "She tries to do _everything_ before she's physically ready."

"Really?" Aerona asked.

"She even rolled on her stomach and tried to do push-ups. It was really cute."

Rhiannon coughed and Aerona removed the bottle from her lips, giving it back to Yonita. Aerona stroked Rhiannon's cheek and the little girl tried to grab on her mother's finger. Rhiannon put the large finger to her lips and Aerona tickled her neck. The baby let out a laugh.

Aerona started to hum to the child, quickly putting her to sleep, and Luke looked at her with surprise.

"How do you do that?" Luke asked. "No one here can put a child to sleep that fast."

_A mother just knows..._

"I'm not sure, actually."

* * *

Aerona would volunteer more and more at the Nurturing Center, always opting to spend time with her daughter. She would occasionally take care of others close to her number, but she always found a way to get to hold Rhiannon, even for a short while. She longed to nurse her baby the way several mothers have for centuries. As she thought about this, she felt her breasts grow heavy.

Aerona watched as Luke and Yonita left for a brief errand and took Rhiannon to a corner unseen by the camera. Rhiannon started to cry and, realizing that Rhiannon was hungry, Aerona unbuttoned her shirt enough to expose her chest and held her baby there. Rhiannon felt something touch her cheek and, instinctively, her mouth grabbed on to it, gaining much needed nourishment and love.

"There, you go, Rhiannon," Aerona whispered, nearly crying from the joy she felt.

Aerona felt Rhiannon's tiny hand rest itself on her chest and sighed.

_"Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night and wouldn't you love to love her..."_

* * *

For the rest of the month she did this. Aerona would occasionally go to the other rooms to help with the other babies, but she mostly stuck around in the room for Newchildren 21-30. Aerona would have Rhiannon interact with Newchild 24, who had taken quite a liking to her. For the most part, the Nurturers enjoyed her company.

They noticed that Rhiannon was developing a little more quickly than the others. She had better coordination than others her age and responded more to other's voices, particularly Aerona's. When Aerona got close to Rhiannon, the baby girl's eyes would light up and her lips would widen into a smile. At one point, Rhiannon leaned her head on Aerona's cheek, attempting to kiss it. Aerona couldn't stop laughing.

When Yonita and Luke left Aerona alone with Rhiannon, Aerona would go to that special corner and unbutton her shirt just a little. Rhiannon's lips already started to smack and her fists would shake a bit, anticipating what was to come. Aerona held the baby's head up to her breast and Rhiannon latched on immediately, nursing with gusto. A flood of oxytocin consumed Aerona and she swore she would try to keep tabs on Rhiannon, no matter what attempted to separate them after her month of volunteering.

"I love you, Rhiannon."


	22. 7137 AD: Given Away

"Oh, hey, Aerona," Luke warmly greeted her. "Newchild 23 has been particularly defiant today."

Yonita, who was caring for Newchild 24, turned around to see Aerona gazing at Rhiannon, who was now kicking off her clothes. Both Yonita and Luke had only turned around for a second before Rhiannon miraculously found out how to unbutton her one piece of clothing. She was now rubbing her exposed belly, pointing at her navel and looking at Aerona. Aerona's hand drifted to her own navel as well. _I fed my baby through there..._

Rhiannon's hands lifted upward, making grabbing motions toward Aerona, and Luke buttoned up her clothes again before covering her with a small blanket. Again, Rhiannon kicked it off before attempting to remove her clothes, much to Aerona's amusement.

"Maybe she's a little too warm in those," Aerona said, taking over and helping her baby remove them.

Rhiannon grabbed Aerona's finger and put it to her gums, closing her lips around it. Aerona tried to pull away, causing Rhiannon to whine, and Aerona picked her up. Already, Rhiannon's hand tried to feel around for Aerona's breast.

Yonita looked at the pair and chuckled. "Newchild 23's been doing that to every female Nurturer. I don't know why."

_She wants me to feed her and love her_. "I couldn't make a good guess either."

Aerona stroked Rhiannon's barely formed curls and wondered just how she wasn't banned from the Nurturing Center, considering the striking resemblance between her and her child. They had the same blue eyes (minus the heterochromia) and a similar nose. Their hair was also the exact same color. At that moment, she suspected Jasper having something to do with it.

Aerona held Rhiannon up a bit higher and the baby tried to give her mother a sloppy kiss. Luke raised an eyebrow.

"That girl has the weirdest mannerisms."

"But she's developing well," Yonita added. "She tries to do more things than the other Newchildren. She's very friendly too, if not a little defiant when it comes to concealing herself."

"She also likes to play with her navel," Luke responded. "I don't know why."

"You silly girl," Aerona cooed, making Rhiannon laugh. "Today is my last day."

"We'll miss you," Yonita said. "Newchild 23 will too, undoubtedly."

_If she remembers me..._

"Ach!" Yonita laughed. "This little Newchild decided to barf on my tunic."

Luke handed her a rag. "This might help."

Aerona inspected Rhiannon. "Do you think she needs a bath?"

Yonita already took out a mini tub with a headrest. Another Nurturer came in, relieving Luke of his temporary duty, and he filled up the tub with warm water. Aerona took the baby, who only needed her diaper removed, and prepared her for her bath. She placed her head on the rest and Rhiannon was playfully kicking the water, getting Aerona wet.

"She's going to be a handful," someone piped.

Aerona rubbed a washcloth gently on Rhiannon's plump little body and Rhiannon dozed off. Aerona cocked her head to the side to whisper something in her ear, and when she spoke, Rhiannon listened.

"Mommy loves you."

* * *

Aerona rode off to her first labor assignment, which happened to be in Food Production. She recognized Edna, who was helping others package the meals, and decided to work beside her. Edna recognized her immediately.

"You already produced three?" Edna asked. "Productions aren't normally that quick."

"I had two."

Edna made a confused expression.

"I was decertified because they said I was no longer needed," Aerona said. "They have enough Birthmothers, you know."

"A Birthmother usually produces three," Edna muttered to herself, organizing small packages of food.

Aerona's work quickened the assembly line, much to everyone's surprise, and they produced enough packages to be allowed an extended lunch break. Aerona and Edna were given their sandwiches and they headed outside near the river. Aerona paid attention to the planes in the background, but if Edna did as well, she showed no sign of it.

They both sat down on a grassy patch near the rushing stream. Edna gave Aerona her sandwich and unwrapped her own, biting down into it. Aerona took a bite as well, only mildly enjoying the taste.

"How were the Birthmothers doing when you last saw them?"

"Lotus was impregnated and Evette kept making fun of her," Aerona said. "Your little girl is going to be a handful."

"She already is, from what I've heard."

"If I'm not mistaken," Aerona replied. "Evette should be impregnated soon."

"Hmph."

* * *

Any time that she could get off of labor, she used wisely. She would either spend it at the Nurturing Center or at Jasper's Annex. Strangely enough, she didn't want to go back to the Birthing Center. Last thing she needed was to be bombarded by the questions of her former companions.

One day, she went back to the Nurturing Center. She calculated that Rhiannon must have been four months old by now. Aerona tried to remember the milestones a four-month-old should have made and failed, figuring that she could just ask at the Nurturing Center.

When Aerona spent time home alone, she would calculate how much time she could spend with Rhiannon per day. She would also try to relive the memory of nursing her baby, feeling the weight in her breasts grow and become painful. While in the shower, she would relieve said burden, watching white fluid squirt onto the shower walls.

Thinking about her time spent home alone, she fantasized about nursing Rhiannon, and she entered the Nursery, hoping to do as such.

"Back again?" Luke greeted. "You know what to do."

Aerona had signed in before heading to the room where Rhiannon waited. When Aerona walked through the door, Rhiannon's eyes perked up and her hands made grabbing motions, showing that Rhiannon remembered her. Yonita and an unnamed Nurturer looked her way.

"I think Newchild 23 wants you again, Aerona," Yonita chuckled.

Rhiannon was already sitting up, much to the Nurturers' amazement. Aerona could already see that Rhiannon was going to be a pretty strong young girl.

"I don't know what your secret is, Aerona, but Newchild 23 is already passing milestones she shouldn't be passing for another month or two."

Rhiannon was holding a small bottle already and her legs were kicking more rapidly, getting the blanket off of her. She shook the bottle in her hand, making loud noises, disturbing others in their naps. Yonita put a finger to her lips, effectively silencing her.

"Can you believe the Ceremony is only two months away?"

"Time passes by quickly," Yonita agreed.

"Hey, baby girl," Aerona whispered to Rhiannon, picking her up.

Rhiannon leaned on Aerona's shoulder, grabbing for Aerona's chest. Aerona felt the same longing Rhiannon did, but she didn't dare reveal this to the Nurturers. Instead, she patted Rhiannon's back, humming her special song to her.

"Mah-ma," Rhiannon babbled.

"She's even babbling early than the rest," Yonita commented.

"Mah-ma. Baba. Wahhh!"

Rhiannon tried to grab underneath Aerona's shirt again, much to everyone's amusement, and Rhiannon started to wave her hand around. Finally, she gently placed her hand on her mother's cheek, catching Aerona's attention.

"Mama."

* * *

It was the end of the year and it was time for the Ceremony. Aerona agreed to meet Jasper there and they decided to sit together, hands intertwined. They both smiled at each other affectionately and watched as the Nurturers, including Luke and Yonita, were carrying the little Newchildren up on the stage. The older babies were trying to walk and some even attempted to bounce. Among the older children was Rhiannon, who was already crawling and making funny expressions to please the crowd.

Rhiannon turned her head and saw Aerona immediately, pointing to her and giggling. Jasper squeezed Aerona's hand.

"She loves you, doesn't she?"

"Pretty soon, she won't remember that I existed," Aerona whimpered. "I nursed her."

"No wonder she loves you."

"Maah!" Rhiannon squealed, causing the crowd to burst into laughter.

"Newchild 01," said the Chief Elder. "Male. Gustav. Assigned to Raina and Henry."

She heard the name "Raina" and recognized it as Jasper's old friend.

"Newchild 02. Male. Jochim. Assigned to Henrietta and Richard."

"Newchild 03. Male. Leon. Assigned to Ngaio and Ivo."

"Newchild 04. Female. Dagmar. Assigned to Mirela and Yitzhak."

"Newchild 05. Male. Nicolau. Assigned to Lianne and Konor."

"Newchild 06. Female. Nadejda. Assigned to Jorja and Ferris."

"Newchild 07. Female. Sabina. Assigned to Helene and Demetri."

"Newchild 08. Female. Cliodhna. Assigned to Mahulena and Alex."

"Newchild 09. Male. Eibhear. Assigned to Hanna and Narinder."

"Newchild 10. Female. Isobel. Assigned to Marina and Austin."

"Newchild 11. Female. Delfina. Assigned to Caecilia and Timothy."

"Newchild 12. Male. Noam. Assigned to Tracey and Mark."

"Newchild 13. Female. Glenda. Assigned to Morgaine and Bob."

"Newchild 14. Female. Annelie. Assigned to Marlowe and Roberto."

"Newchild 15. Male. Drake. Assigned to Frida and Samson."

"Newchild 16. Male. Domnall. Assigned to Adrienne and Tordis."

"Newchild 17. Female. Evelina. Assigned to Birgit and Charles."

"Newchild 18. Female. Ulviye. Assigned to Hagne and Parker."

"Newchild 19. Female. Mary. Assigned to Sigrid and Harry."

"Newchild 20. Female. Marjorie. Assigned to Garnet and Enrique."

"Newchild 21. Male. Kingsley. Assigned to Larissa and Tyrone."

"Newchild 22. Female. Dagney. Assigned to Tina and Maxwell."

"Newchild 23. Female," said Matthias, causing Aerona to squeeze Jasper's arm. "Rhiannon. Assigned to Carlota and Savely."

Aerona remembered Carlota from the House of the Old. She was the one who had taken away Rowan's meal when she had visited her. She thought about what Rowan had said about a Receiver eventually being drawn to a Birthmother and remembered that Rhiannon would eventually be given such an assignment. Would Emanuel be the brother that Rhiannon needed?

"Newchild 24. Male. Aedan. Assigned to Isadora and Vlastimir."

"Newchild 25. Male. Jaropelk. Assigned to Raven and Sjaak."

"Newchild 26. Male. Arduino. Assigned to Dorothea and Aemilianus."

"Newchild 27. Female. Imelda. Assigned to Isaura and Nicodemo."

"Newchild 28. Male. Mithras. Assigned to Kai and Cade."

"Newchild 29. Male. Tyr. Assigned to Kylie and Alfonso."

"Newchild 30. Male. Clive. Assigned to Bonnie and Renald."

"Newchild 31. Female. Sigilind. Assigned to Bailey and Henrikson."

"Newchild 32. Male. Vlaho. Assigned to Deirdre and Perry."

"Newchild 33. Male. Marcel. Assigned to Taylor and Ari."

"Newchild 34. Male. Aesop. Assigned to Julianna and Pippin."

"Newchild 35. Male. Darwin. Assigned to Danielle and Willabert."

"Newchild 36. Male. Gisbert. Assigned to Gwendolyn and Guo."

"Newchild 37. Female. Alexis. Assigned to Irene and Nathan."

"Newchild 38. Female. Valeriane. Assigned to Sebastiana and Pinchas."

"Newchild 39. Male. Jordan. Assigned to Leah and Joel."

"Newchild 40. Male. Cole. Assigned to Diana and Calvin."

"Newchild 41. Male. Samuel. Assigned to Erika and Ulysses."

"Newchild 42. Female. Zira. Assigned to Racheli and Zaius."

"Newchild 43. Male. Cornelius. Assigned to Lisa and Caesar."

"Newchild 44. Female. Jeanne. Assigned to Tia and George."

"Newchild 45. Female. Teca. Assigned to Leilani and Presley."

"Newchild 46. Male. Norbert. Assigned to Anne and Lanty."

"Newchild 47. Female. Susanne. Assigned to Josephine and Yonah."

"Newchild 48. Female. Isra. Assigned to Theanna and Albert."

"Newchild 49. Female. Adela. Assigned to Aeronwen and Jeronimo."

"Newchild 50. Female. Docia. Assigned to Stanislava and Stojan."

Aerona watched the rest of the Ceremonies, seeing her son Emanuel turn Three, and then waited for the Afternoon Meal. Jasper and Aerona walked outside together when she noticed Blake and Rhea sit at one table and Carlota and Savely sit at another. Emanuel immediately noticed Rhiannon and walk towards her, fascinated by his biological sister. Rhiannon gazed back at him, noticing that they both had the same curls and blue eyes. Aerona smiled.

"Look at them, Jasper."

Jasper looked at Aerona's two children. "Of course they're drawn to each other."

Aerona couldn't help but fantasize a bit. "Do you think they'll love each other?"

Jasper shrugged. "I don't know, but we can hope."

Rhiannon turned her head and spotted Aerona, pointing to her.

"Mah!" she babbled. "Mah-mah!"

Aerona would have turned around just in time to make eye contact had it not been for Emanuel getting closer to her and touching her cheek as a distraction. Rhiannon laughed loudly, charming Aerona's heart, and, after realizing that she couldn't nurse her baby girl anymore, turned and looked away.


	23. 7138 AD: Her

For the first year of Rhiannon's life, Aerona was completely absent.

Every day, she would package food alongside Edna, who was becoming a rather boring conversationalist. She would try to talk to Edna about what she felt when she was pregnant with Evette, but Edna would just shrug and try to change the topic. She wondered if other Birthmothers felt the bond she did with little Rhiannon.

There were other workers she took interest in too. Ailbhe, who was close to her age, had rather funny stories about her childhood; one about crashing her bike and falling into a flower bush, one about attempting to climb a tree and another about watching a newchild in the Nurturing Center barf on a guy she didn't particularly like. She would tell stories about her past, but they would be censored greatly, as Ailbhe wouldn't understand many references. An example would be her parents' reaction at her rendition of _Kronos Eating His Children_.

"You had a class about drawing things?" Ailbhe had asked, rather puzzled.

"Yes. Most people in my class drew things that were considered pretty and innocent. My friend, Ismene, she drew large pictures of flowers with great detail and great care for the different shades. She called it "Beauty" or something. This other girl, Hannah, she drew two people... um... becoming Spouses. I don't know why, but she called it "Union". I didn't really get along with the other students, so I wanted to draw something that would annoy them."

"Why would you do that?" Ailbhe asked, rather interested.

"I was pretty immature. Anyway, so I read a book about stories from the incredibly distant past and I found one rather gruesome. There was a picture depicting part of that story, so I drew my own version. There was a human without a head and without a right arm and it was being held by this creature with odd proportions and this grotesque expression. It's safe to say that no one was particularly pleased."

Ailbhe organized a package of food and turned to her. "What was it called?"

"Kronos Eating His Children."

Ailbhe dropped the package and Aerona picked it up, seeing that it was still clean. She put it back on the conveyer belt. As they worked together, Aerona thought of Hannah, the girl whom Gwendolyn recommended she befriend. She wondered if Hannah had ever gotten over her crush on Macsen and guessed that she did. It's been over seven years now, in any case.

There was Desiderio, a thirty-something year old man whom Edna admitted she had been infatuated with when she was off her pill. Desiderio was a kind man who wished he had received a better assignment. This one bored him, so Aerona would tell him the same stories she told Ailbhe. Desiderio was a little less judgmental than Ailbhe about the _Kronos Eating His Children_ and was curious as to who originally drew the picture. Aerona didn't remember, so Desiderio's question remained unanswered.

So far, it had been just her, Edna, Ailbhe and Desiderio sitting together during the Midday Meal. Desiderio would arrange a lunch basket and they would have a little picnic near the river. Aerona and Ailbhe would often throw rocks into the river just to see who could throw the farthest. At one point, Aerona managed to throw a rock across the river entirely, much to Ailbhe's dismay, as the girl could never throw that far. Edna and Desiderio would laugh at Ailbhe's frustration and she would throw a rock stubbornly, never making it across.

Some time in the middle of the year, a girl in her mid-teens named Kirabo had joined the group. Kirabo would watch Aerona and Ailbhe throw rocks until Aerona got bored. Aerona introduced Kirabo to rock skipping. Kirabo quickly became adept at skipping rocks and outdid Aerona, who was usually the champion. Once, Kirabo made it skip seven times and Aerona announced it as a Community record. Kirabo had blushed and smiled.

Aerona started to think of her group as an unofficial family. Edna and Desiderio were the parents, Aerona and Ailbhe were the older sisters, and Kirabo was their baby. She took up teaching Kirabo all the things she yearned to teach Rhiannon; skipping stones was just the beginning. Aerona showed her how to climb a tree, do a wheelie on her bicycle, and do a handstand, among other things. Ailbhe would take up to teasing Kirabo and Edna and Desiderio would just laugh.

Aerona wished that Edna would talk more to her about her longing to know Evette. She saw that it affected her work and her mood and thought that she wasn't taking the pill after all. As she thought about it, she realized that Edna had fallen in love with Desiderio. Whether or not Desiderio would ever go off the pill and return her affections wasn't something to spend time thinking about. The rules were the rules.

One day, Aerona confronted Edna privately.

"You're off the pill, aren't you?"

"What?" Edna was taken aback. "Why would you say that?"

Aerona smiled mischievously. "I've seen the way you look at Desiderio. I don't blame you. He's a kind and gentle man."

"This is ridiculous, Aerona. I'm going back to work."

As Edna turned around and walked away, Aerona felt it necessary to poke more fun at her. Sadly, her following comment would contradict any beliefs she held about Birthmothers.

"A Birthmother? Being hardworking?" Aerona asked. "Why! How unheard of."

Edna snorted and returned to her duties. Aerona worked alongside her and looked at Ailbhe and Desiderio working opposite them. Edna looked up at the man, blushed, and turned away.

* * *

Aerona attended the Ceremony like everyone else. To her dismay, she didn't see Jasper there. She chose to sit with Ailbhe and Edna while Kirabo and Desiderio were back at Food Production, packaging the food for the Midday Meal. Aerona kept asking Edna if she wanted to find Desiderio and Edna kept telling her to shut up. Ailbhe looked on with confusion until the Ceremony of One started.

Aerona watched with an utter lack of enthusiasm and saw a familiar Food Production worker, Perry, walk up with his wife to receive a child. She didn't bother listening to the child's naming and waited for the Ceremony of Two. She hadn't seen her little girl in what felt like forever.

Finally, it came along. The former Ones were gathered on the stage and their Caretakers supervised them, making sure that no one crawled or ran off the stage. Aerona could see Rhiannon struggling to get away from her Caretaker in order to get to the edge of the stage. She saw little Emanuel running down the aisle and waving to his sister. Rhiannon revealed little teeth when she smiled at him, pointing and waving.

"Emmy!" she squealed. "Emmy! Emmy!"

"Rhi!" he replied, trying to find a way to get onto the stage.

Rhiannon pointed to the staircase, as if she knew what his goal was, and attempted to walk there alongside the edge of the stage. Emanuel found the stairs just in time for his parents, Blake and Rhea, to drag him back to their seats. Rhiannon would have walked down the staircase had a Caretaker not scooped her up and put her back into her proper place. Rhiannon kept trying to wriggle free so the Ceremony could proceed. Aerona couldn't stop laughing at what happened.

"What is going on between those two children?" Ailbhe asked.

"I birthed them both, you know," Aerona replied. "It's as if they know their connection."

"Really strange," she muttered.

The only other Ceremony Aerona paid attention to was the Ceremony of Four. During the entire thing, Emanuel kept waving and pointing to Rhiannon. She heard the Two squeal and saw her kick her legs with excitement. As each child received their new jacket with buttons in the back, Aerona watched one girl, Nasrin, try to remove hers. Emanuel giggled at the sight.

Finally, the Instructor responsible for them tried to get Emanuel to wear the jacket, but the mischievous boy struggled to take it off. After they got him to acquiesce, they finished the Ceremony of Fours. Immediately after he got off the stage, he looked around, trying to find Rhiannon.


	24. 7141 AD: Growing Up

For a few years, Aerona had grown very close with Ailbhe, Kirabo, Edna and Desiderio. Out of the four, she wanted to spend more and more time with Ailbhe, which she realized was a result of abstaining from the pill. Though Ailbhe looked like many others in the community, Aerona found a unique quality concerning her beauty. Quite often she would absentmindedly reach out for her hand and only when Ailbhe turned her head did Aerona pull her own hand away, hoping not to be exposed.

Less often than not, Aerona would visit Jasper during her lunch breaks. She would tell him about Edna's crush on Desiderio, her own developing feelings for Ailbhe, and Kirabo's increasing skill in skipping rocks. Jasper would listen intently before they would both read an ancient book. More often than not, Aerona would fall asleep in Jasper's arms, not feeling him stroking her hair.

She thought about this when she said goodbye to her friends and rode to the Annex with a smile. Aerona was hoping that Jasper didn't continue reading that book without her and was disappointed by her lack of interesting stories about today. It wasn't a long bicycle ride, she thought, and she parked it in its proper port before she entered the lobby, where she saw the attendant Moises.

"Here again?" Moises jokingly asked.

"Mm hm," she muttered.

"I'm not sure you'll be allowed in," he warned. "He's watching a classified security tape."

"Ask him," she replied.

Moises shrugged and pressed the intercom button, clearing his throat. Aerona heard a slight buzzing noise.

"Hi Jasper!" Aerona blurted out before Moises could speak.

Jasper chuckled. "Oh, hello Aerona. Let her in, Moises."

"But the tape you requested was classified."

"I'll pause it for now, Moises," Jasper replied. "Let her in."

Aerona smirked while Moises pressed the button to unlock the door. Moises shrugged, partly confused as to the circumstances, and watched as Aerona walked in and closed the door behind her. Aerona smiled at Jasper, who was sitting on the bed, watching something on his small television propped up on the opposite wall. She knocked on the wall and he turned to look at her.

"Hello, Aerona," he greeted. "Why don't you watch a little film with me?"

She smiled and sat beside him. He hugged and kissed her, as was typical of him, and rewinded the tape he had mentioned earlier. Aerona saw that it was a tape of two young children at the Recreation Center. She looked closely, realizing it was Rhiannon and Emanuel. Jasper played the tape.

"Watch closely," Jasper whispered.

"Hi," Emanuel said to his little sister.

Rhiannon looked up, little toy blocks in her hand, and squealed. She stomped on her little chubby legs, clapping. Emanuel laughed at her odd mannerisms and held out crackers in his hand. Rhiannon's eyes widened.

"You have crackers!" Rhiannon squealed.

"One for you," he said, handing one to her. "And one for me."

"Jasper," Aerona whispered. "I could almost cry."

Aerona watched as her little girl stuffed the cracker in her mouth, getting crumbs all over her lips and clothes. Emanuel reached out to brush the crumbs off of her tunic and started to tickle her, making her laugh and her face turned red. Rhiannon ended up kicking Emanuel in the leg, causing him to stop.

"Emmy!" she cried out to him.

"What?"

"Come play with me!"

"Play what?" Emanuel asked, holding up his arms to expression uncertainty.

"...I don't know."

Aerona started to chuckle at the sight and she held Jasper's hand tightly. He squeezed her hand reassuringly and they continued to watch the film. Pretty soon, Rhiannon and Emanuel started to playfully poke each other. Emanuel reached out and touched one of Rhiannon's curls, seeing it coil and bounce, and started to laugh loudly.

"Emmy!" she squealed. "You're silly!"

"So are you, Rhi!"

"My babies," Aerona whispered.

She watched as Emanuel scooted closer to Rhiannon and wrapped his arms around her. Instead of pushing him away, she leaned her head on his shoulder and patted his hands soothingly, curling into a ball. They remained that way until one of them saw a nearby Instructor and stopped hugging. They both looked around, waiting for the Instructor to leave, and they hugged again.

Jasper turned off the tape and turned to Aerona.

"See?" he asked. "They found each other."


	25. 7143 AD: Trouble

Aerona watched as Edna unsuccessfully and inadvertently flirted with Desiderio. The man just laughed at whatever Edna said, making Edna blush. Kirabo and Ailbhe were wondering what Aerona was watching when Edna accidentally stroked Desiderio's hand. Desiderio immediately pulled away, surprised by Edna's advance. Aerona could see her mumble the standard apology. Desiderio seemed to calm down and Edna smiled again as they walked by the steady river.

"Why are you watching them again?" Kirabo asked.

Ailbhe and Aerona looked back at her, but only Aerona could answer. "We are studying human behavior."

"Whatever," Kirabo said and left, probably to talk to a couple of other girls she met that year.

Ailbhe and Aerona stayed where they are, relatively hidden from plain sight. Edna and Desiderio went somewhere else, so Aerona grew bored of watching them. She rested in a supine position, looking up at the blank sky, and Ailbhe remained sitting by her. Aerona wasn't sure how long they had until their lunch break was over, only that they had a substantial about of time. Ailbhe scooted closer to Aerona.

"Why do you watch Edna and Desiderio?" Ailbhe asked.

"Because of the way Edna feels," Aerona let slip.

"The way Edna feels _what?_"

Aerona looked at Ailbhe. She could see the outline of Ailbhe's bra and sheepishly smiled. She was sure that Ailbhe was wondering why Aerona was staring there, but she would have no understanding of what the implications of such an act were. Aerona looked up and down, her eyes landing where they originally were, and she realized that the only way to get rid of this was the Pill.

She decided against it.

"Ailbhe," Aerona spoke. "I assume you take your pill."

"Um, yeah," she said uncomfortably. "Everyone does."

"Not children," Aerona corrected.

"Why did you bring up the pill?" asked Ailbhe.

Aerona shifted her legs, suddenly aware of the feelings that said medication was made to prevent. Ailbhe didn't seem to notice. Aerona wasn't sure if she wanted Ailbhe to remain unaware of her feelings.

"I was curious about what happens when you're... off of it," she replied. "And I'll have to admit something."

Ailbhe's eyes widened. "You mean you don't take it?"

"If you tell anyone, I'll deny it," Aerona said, gently but assertively. "I have a very influential friend to defend me."

Ailbhe bit her lip in nervousness. Aerona stared at her bottom lip, thinking that girls back home had done that when they were attracted to someone. The thought of Ailbhe harboring those feelings amused Aerona.

"But, why?"

Aerona threw her back in amusement, taking in a deep breath. She kicked off her shoes, feeling the grass between her toes, and tried not to think of whatever Stirrings were attempting to push themselves to the forefront of her thoughts. Aerona failed at that last task, staring at the line Ailbhe's bra made in her tunic.

"I told you. Curiosity."

Ailbhe simply wrinkled her eyebrows in confusion. Aerona left Ailbhe alone and decided to busy herself with other things.

* * *

Aerona hid behind the corner of the school, watching Emanuel and Rhiannon play together. There were other kids too; two children named Aedan and Dagney were accompanying Rhiannon, but Emanuel was acting a bit possessively. Aerona couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of them. Filtering out the hubbub around her, she successfully overheard their interactions.

"Aedan!" Rhiannon laughed as he tugged on one of her curls, watching them bounce like coils.

Dagney huffed, jumping right in front of Aedan, much to his annoyance. Aedan let go of Rhiannon's hair, allowing her to crawl closer to Emanuel, who rubbed her arms softly. He leaned his head against her own, staring at Dagney, who was stopped Aedan from his playful antics.

"You don't touch people outside of your family unit," Dagney reminded Aedan.

"What's _he_ doing?" asked Aedan, pointing to Emanuel.

Immediately, the male Eight stepped back, making himself look innocent. Dagney turned around, seeing no fault, and faced Aedan with a scrunched nose. Emanuel smiled mischievously before poking Rhiannon and directing her someplace else. The siblings went where they knew other kids wouldn't bother them.

Aerona knew that she couldn't tell them she was their mother, but at least she could get closer to them, let alone say hello.

She followed them to a concealed grass patch. There, Emanuel picked a flower and put it to Rhiannon's nose. She sniffed it and shrugged.

"It's pretty, I guess," Rhiannon said.

Emanuel lied on the grass, prompting Rhiannon to do the same. The young girl was in a supine position and Emanuel rolled over, poking her stomach. The female Six laughed, poking Emanuel's cheek, and Emanuel started to tickle her.

"Emmy! Stop it!" Rhiannon begged between laughs.

An Instructor, who must have been looking for them, found the pair. Both Emanuel and Rhiannon knew they were in trouble and immediately stood up, still reluctant to leave each other. Aerona wished she could interfere, but that would arouse suspicion. She simply watched as the woman reprimanded the siblings.

"Emanuel, you know better," said the woman. "You know what to do."

"Yes, Instructor Blanche," replied Emanuel. "Rhiannon, I apologize for touching you inappropriately."

"I accept your apology, Emanuel," responded Rhiannon.

When Instructor Blanche turned around, Emanuel and Rhiannon started to smile at each other and poked each other's fingers. Aerona smiled at their defiance and left, knowing that she had to go back to work soon.

* * *

"Aerona?" Ailbhe asked her when they were alone. "What is being off the Pill supposed to feel like?"

"It's different every day. You have highs and lows. You aren't limited to simple pleasures and annoyances. You could have the greatest joys and the deepest sorrows."

"Huh?"

Aerona shook her head. "Never mind that. Why did you ask?"

"I, uhh," Ailbhe stuttered, turning around to see that no one was watching them during their break. "Never mind."

Ailbhe was about to turn around when Aerona stopped her, smiling mischievously. Ailbhe stared at her with confusion, which only humored Aerona, and Aerona couldn't help but wonder what Ailbhe was thinking.

"You're off your pill, aren't you?"

"Let's just drop the subject," said Ailbhe, who wanted to return to work early.

"Just don't drop your guard," replied Aerona. "Or they will catch you admiring my chest."

Ailbhe glared at her before turning around, huffing.

For some time, Aerona caught Ailbhe staring at her on more than one occasion. She never brought up the topic, but she was sure that Ailbhe had been off the pill for quite a while and grew hopeful of her prospects with her. Why Aerona felt an attraction to her, she wasn't entirely sure. Ever since she could remember, she never felt an attraction to any man, and that wasn't just because of what happened approximately thirteen years ago.

_Thirteen years ago_, she thought. _Rhosyn is twelve now._ She couldn't help but wonder how Rhosyn was faring with Ismene and Macsen. Did Rhosyn ever wonder who here mother was? Who were _father_ was?

_Her father..._

It had been years since Aerona thought of Pryce. _Pryce Dels-Sieffre Argall_. It had been a while since she remembered her family members by their extended names. It had taken her a little bit of time to remember her own extended name. _Aerona Meita-Gwendolyn Argall._ She had long since only remembered herself by her first name.

She ignored old memories and returned to the present moment. Edna was next to Desiderio, putting packages into larger boxes, which were to be sent to the school. Another box was to be saved for the Evening Meals. A few others were working on packages of food for the House of the Old. Aerona was growing bored. The bell, which signaled their break, rang and everyone left.

Aerona and Ailbhe walked out to a concealed place near the river, watching Edna and Desiderio walk closely together. Aerona could tell that Desiderio did not feel for Edna the way she did for him, which saddened her a bit, but Aerona was glad that Desiderio at least gave Edna the time of day. Not that he had any reason not to.

"I think I know what Edna feels."

Aerona raised an eyebrow at Ailbhe's comment. Ailbhe bit her lip when Aerona looked at her, as if realizing that she had been exposed somehow. Aerona's eyes went from Ailbhe's eyes to her chest and back again. That bra outline in her shirt still caught her attention. Ailbhe seemed to notice, but she didn't appear to mind.

Aerona changed from a crouching position to a more relaxed, sitting one. Ailbhe mimicked this action and, pretty soon, they were both lying down on the soft grass. They both let their hands rest between one another, very close to one another. Aerona nearly forgot everything; the life she had before she came here over ten years ago, her three births, and even the time they were supposed to get back to work. She breathed deeply, realizing that she was now touching Ailbhe's hand. Ailbhe didn't retract it.

For the next few weeks, they would come to this private place just to hold hands. Aerona found herself visiting Jasper less and less, opting to spend more time with Ailbhe in hopes of awakening her to the world of emotion that Aerona knew. Sometimes, Aerona would tickle the middle of Ailbhe's palm. Ailbhe would smile sheepishly, giving Aerona a strange sense of control over the woman's feelings.

Some time after that, they moved onto brief embraces. It took even less time for Aerona to want to close the distance between their faces. She couldn't be sure if Ailbhe wanted to do the same, but in a moment of impulsivity, Aerona chose to do so.

At first, Ailbhe reacted with utter shock at the feeling of contact between lips, but she passively accepted it. Aerona backed away, realizing that she had given herself Stirrings. Surprisingly, Ailbhe didn't react negatively to it and Aerona knew that was a start of a rather forbidden, yet chaste (for her standards) affair.

For a few months, Aerona and Ailbhe would go out during their breaks to that secret place. They would spend a little time hugging, quickly allowing it to escalate to kissing, but Aerona was careful not to let it go further than that. She was already getting Ailbhe into potential trouble.

"Did a lot of people do this where you came from?"

Aerona nodded.

"Oh."

They didn't talk much after that. They simply rested on the grass and Ailbhe looked up at the sky while Aerona stared at her rising and falling chest. She scooted closer to Ailbhe, eventually leaning over and pecking her lips. Just in time, however, a Security Guard caught them.

"Ahem," said the Security Guard. "What are you doing?"

Aerona turned her head up to see the man staring, not particularly pleased. Immediately, she got up, saying the standard apology to Ailbhe before she walked with the Security Guard to the Department of Law and Justice. Ailbhe didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to Aerona.

During the trial, the Security Guard explained what he saw, albeit in a confused manner. The Head Judge then called up Aerona, asking her what she did and why she did it. Aerona knew that she couldn't lie to save herself, only to spare Ailbhe, so she said that she had abstained from the Pill that day and her action with Ailbhe was on impulse. The Head Judge asked if she abstained purposely. Stupidly, Aerona admitted that she did.

Aerona was punished accordingly. She was to live in a smaller isolation dwelling at the fringes of the community. She would work long hours out in the distant fields (where she had arrived years ago) and receive smaller portions of food. This arrangement would continue for a month.

Aerona quickly found her isolation dwelling, noticing that the room was equipped with cameras as well as the standard speaker. The only separate rooms were a small bathroom and laundry room. The dining quarters and bed were in the same small room. Aerona didn't mind her punishment so far, except that she knew she wouldn't be able to see Jasper.

Working in the fields wasn't so bad. As she worked there, she tried to imagine what her mother would have said about such workers. Never would it have occurred to her that Gwendolyn's daughter would be doing such labor. Labor was for low status folk.

Aerona wandered out a little farther than the rest of her small group and found the gun she had left behind years ago. It was rusted and dirty, she noticed, and she wondered how no one else found it. She decided to hide it farther out, making sure no one was watching her, and she made it closer to the edge of the forest when she saw a figure approaching her. Aerona squinted her eyes, seeing that the clothes on the individual were of the Provinces, not the Communities. Immediately, she dropped the gun and ran.

"Macsen?" she cried, not really believing that her biological brother was actually here.

"Aerona?" he yelled back, his voice confirming his identity.

They both ran to each other, embracing each other tightly when they succeeded in fully closing the distance. Aerona could hear that Macsen was crying. She stroked his curly hair to comfort him, feeling him hold her even more tightly than before. If she hadn't known better, she thought he wouldn't ever let her go.

"Aerona," he wept. "You're... you're alive."

Aerona nodded. "And you're _here_. How did you know?"

Macsen stepped back, her chin still cupped in his hands. Aerona took a good look at him. There was a little bit of stubble on his chin, his jawline was more pronounced, and his eyes appeared to have aged a bit. He was in his early thirties, but from the way he gazed at her, he seemed to have aged twice as much. _Then again,_ Aerona thought, _for eleven years, I lived in a place where people are in a constant state of arrested development. She placed her hands on his wrists, still in disbelief._

"Ismene," he replied. "She told me everything. She waited so long and then... she just told me."

"How is everyone at home?" Aerona asked, surprised that she even referred to it as 'home'. "What's happening with Rhosyn. Mother and Father? What about those mobs and protests."

Macsen sighed. "The war is over, Aerona. You can come home now. Rhosyn won't stop asking who her mother is. Mother and Father have been so distraught since you disappeared."

Aerona still had one question burning in her mind. "What happened to Pryce?"

"He's dead, Aerona. Pryce was shot by the proletariat mobs. The entire Eastern Province is reformed. Speaking of which, Rhosyn wants to know who her father is as well. She's suspicious of your whereabouts. She keeps thinking that you're here."

Aerona sighed, leaning against his rising and falling chest. Macsen was still crying and Aerona could feel him rubbing her back. Aerona squeezed his arms affectionately.

"You can't tell her where I am," she replied. "And I cannot come back. I have a life here now and I can't throw it away."

"Then let me stay with you for some time," he whimpered.

"No, you can't," she responded. "You have to go back. Ismene and Rhosyn need you."

Macsen held her hands. "I love you."

"I love you too, brother," Aerona replied before she kissed him goodbye.


	26. 7147 AD: Receiver

Her punishment passed by more quickly than she assumed and by the end of her probation, she had lost a little weight. She was promptly put on meals that helped her gain her weight back. Once she had regained her lost weight, her meals were switched again. Aerona didn't mind any of this, as her thoughts were still on her brother, Macsen.

One day, on her break, she decided to visit Jasper.

"Aerona," Jasper smiled when he saw her. "For a second, I thought you left me for good."

"It's okay, Jasper," Aerona replied. "I'm not leaving you any time soon."

Jasper waved his hand, telling her to sit next to him on the overstuffed couch. He put his arm around her and she leaned on his shoulder, breathing deeply and thinking of her brief time with Macsen. It almost made her cry.

"What happened?"

"I saw my brother," Aerona replied. "And not that family-unit-shit brother either. I saw Macsen in the fields."

Jasper's expression became one of concern. He scratched his chin for a second before he looked down, deep in thought, and looked up again. This wasn't the reaction Aerona was expecting.

"How did he find you?" Jasper asked. "Where is he now?"

Aerona sighed. "He's long gone back to the Provinces by now. He traveled the same path I did and found me working. He didn't have a lot of time to talk."

Jasper pulled Aerona close to him, rubbing his hand on her opposite arm. She knew he was trying to comfort her, but it didn't work, and she was still worried about her brother. She couldn't really do anything about it, despite her connection to the nearly-most powerful man in the group of Communities here. Aerona didn't want to bother him with the burden anyway. He had enough to deal with already.

"What did he say?"

"He told me about Rhosyn," she replied. "And that Pryce is dead. He begged me to come home."

"Oh," he said quickly. "I see."

* * *

Aerona and Jasper spent the next four years keeping close tabs on Emanuel. Neither could directly contact him. Most Birthmothers aren't even supposed to know who their children are, so it would seem odd that Aerona would keep track of him. Jasper could not interfere with Emanuel's activities either, as it would disrupt his careful process of selection. When Aerona wasn't helping Jasper keep track of Emanuel, she would spy on little Rhiannon, though she could never have the relationship with her that she yearned for.

Aerona would catch Emanuel secretly teaching Rhiannon how to ride a bike. She could tell he wanted to hold her, but he restrained himself for the sake of following the rules. Nevertheless, he was careful and gentle when he taught her and, if she ever fell, he would be very attentive. Aerona would think of how the two interacted in their very early years, wondering if something had told them of their biological relations and what had drawn them toward one another.

One day, Aerona spied on the pair again. Emanuel raised his arms in triumph when Rhiannon successfully rode the bike on her own, mastering every turn. She got off the bike right before a Security Guard came and returned the bike to her brother. She clapped at her own success and Aerona could see that they were both beaming.

It was near the end of Emanuel's eleventh year and Aerona could tell that Emanuel was nervous. Rhiannon had routinely tried to get Emanuel to "snap out of it", but Emanuel couldn't help but fret about what assignment he was going to get. Aerona had seen him interact with his "government-mandated" sister, Kate, but Emanuel was always far more interested in Rhiannon. Aerona started to think that blood ties were stronger than anything, despite much evidence to the contrary (from her experience with Birthmothers). Aerona couldn't help but remember the time Rhiannon spent in her womb. Rhiannon was a lively, defiant baby who grew up to be a strong, loving little girl.

"So what do you think of Emanuel?" Jasper had asked her one day, seemingly appearing out of nowhere when Aerona had been spying on her two children.

Aerona jumped a bit, seeing him behind her, and smiled. He returned the sentiment and they both looked at the two children. Rhiannon was kicking the water in the river, much to Emanuel's annoyance. When Emanuel expressed his irritation, Rhiannon sulked, but tried to express concern.

"You're thinking of them being drawn to one another, aren't you?" Jasper asked. "And you're thinking about that old woman, Rowan. She told you things about Receivers and Birthmothers. She was Released a few years ago."

"Yes," Aerona admitted. "I can't help but think how right she is. Look at those two."

Jasper and Aerona watched the other children leave, allowing Emanuel and Rhiannon to sit alone at the river. Rhiannon started to kick her legs, splashing Emanuel, and Emanuel splashed her back, causing her to laugh. They both lied down, looking up at the sky and smiling, both of them tempted to hold the other's hand. Aerona couldn't help but smile at the sight.

Jasper, however, was frowning.

"What's wrong?" Aerona asked.

"I'm just thinking," he said. "When Emanuel becomes my apprentice, he won't have as much time to spend with Rhiannon. By the time Emanuel finishes training, Rhiannon would have already made other friends at the Birthing Center. They would lose each other."

"How do you know they won't come back to each other again?"

"I don't know," Jasper replied. "I'm just thinking of how Emanuel would feel when he loses his sister."

"Rhiannon won't let him," Aerona responded. "That's for sure."

Aerona and Jasper both stood there as Emanuel and Rhiannon rode home, remaining uncertain as to the future of the two children.

* * *

Emanuel turned Twelve today.

Chief Elder Siobhan had singled him out of the crowd of Would-Be Twelves. She had skipped him, causing him confusion. Aerona had watched from the sidelines, pretending not to exist (and no one, aside from the Receiver, acknowledged her), and saw Rhiannon fidget with nervousness as she witnessed her brother's nervousness. Rhiannon would have normally twirled her hair, but she had received the haircuts that all Tens got, so she only had fidgeting and feet-tapping to soothe herself. It was all she could do to hasten the time of the Ceremony of Twelve.

Finally, Emanuel was brought forward to the stage.

"Emanuel," said Chief Elder Siobhan. "First, I would like to apologize to you and to the community for causing confusion and anguish."

Everyone, aside from Aerona, had said the standard apology. Aerona was far more concerned with what Emanuel would face in the upcoming years.

Siobhan started the speech by saying that he had been Selected, that Selection was an arduous process, and that Emanuel possessed the necessary traits. He had intelligence and integrity, vital traits for being the Receiver. Siobhan went on to say that he had Hearing Beyond, which Jasper had told her was music. Aerona wondered if Rhiannon would have any of the "Beyonds" at some point in her life. After Emanuel's Selection was celebrated, Jasper and Aerona went outside to talk privately. Aerona could tell that Jasper was not going to share good news.

"Aerona," Jasper whispered to her. "I won't be here much longer."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean," Jasper sighed. "When Emanuel's finished with his training, I'll have no purpose here. It's like that with Receivers; after their apprentice is ready, they feel that it's their time to go."

"You mean... Release?"

"Yes."

Aerona all the sudden felt angry. "And what am I supposed to do?! Be stuck avoiding my son while he rocks in pain every day?"

Jasper tried to soothe her. "Aerona, please."

"Just leave me alone," she barked and ran off to cry.


	27. 7149 AD: Rhiannon's Assignment

Aerona had to wait a full year before she could even speak to Emanuel. Throughout that time, she had no idea she would ever talk to her children, so she tried her best to spy on them both. She saw that Emanuel and Rhiannon hadn't grown too distant, but Emanuel matured at a rate far faster than that of Rhiannon. The stubborn young girl tried to keep up with him, always asking questions about what he did. He couldn't answer them, as he had to keep his training a secret, and Rhiannon would pout whenever he did this.

Jasper had arranged their meeting illegally. He had sent Moises the Attendant out on an errand when Aerona came into the lobby, thinking that Emanuel was done with his training for that day. Aerona heard an odd static noise coming from the speaker and heard the door unlock. Jasper's head poked out from behind it, telling her to come in.

Aerona opened the door to see Emanuel sitting on the bed, his eyes solemn and his expression grim. Instantly, she wanted to cry for him, to hold him, to tell him he wasn't alone. He didn't seem to notice her at first, which pained her more.

"Emanuel," Jasper spoke softly. "I'd like you to meet someone."

Emanuel turned his head slightly, a little confused about the woman's presence. His hand was soothing his right leg, he hissed slightly at the pain in it, and his attention was turned away from her momentarily. Aerona looked at Jasper, who was rubbing his neck and looking at his pained apprentice. Aerona approached the boy slowly.

"Hello, Emanuel," she spoke softly.

Emanuel looked at her. "Hi."

Aerona leaned on the bookshelf. Emanuel stopped soothing his leg and stood up, wincing slightly when he put pressure on it. He stared straight at her, first looking at her curly hair, then at her blue eyes with the brown spot in the left iris. He touched his own very short curls and raised an eyebrow.

"Who are you?" he asked her.

"My name is Aerona," she said. "And I am your Birthmother."

"You two," Jasper spoke. "Technically aren't supposed to know each other. What I am doing here is actually illegal. You can only meet as long as I'm around. Once you, Emanuel, are done with your training, you two cannot even know of each other's existence."

Emanuel nodded, understanding his mentor. Aerona grimaced.

"I will guess that she wanted to see me," Emanuel said.

"I've always wanted to see my son," Aerona answered. "But, as Jasper said, I'm not even supposed to know who you are."

Emanuel peered at Aerona's strange eyes and approached her slowly. Aerona resisted the urge to touch her son's face, to hug him and kiss him like mothers do. She saw that they had the same lips, similar bone structure, and the same ears. Whoever was the "father", Aerona did not know.

"Jasper," Emanuel whispered, not breaking eye contact with Aerona. "You always called yourself The Giver."

"It's a bit of a tradition," Jasper replied. "If you are the Receiver, then I must be the Giver. I am giving you what I have received years ago."

"So I'll become The Giver when I receive an apprentice?"

"Yes, Emanuel," Jasper replied. "And I told you before, all of the knowledge of this community is available to you. Including the knowledge of your Birthmother."

Jasper softly rubbed Aerona's back for a moment. Emanuel stared at them, puzzled, and he sat back down on the bed. He leaned against the wall, crossing his legs on the bed, and stared across the room. Jasper invited Aerona to sit on the couch. Both Jasper and Aerona sat together, his arm around her. She took the time to pin her curly hair up.

"Are you two related?" Emanuel asked Jasper and Aerona.

Aerona shook her head. "I'm not even from here."

Emanuel's eyes widened, no longer solemn. Instead, he showed surprise and awe at the woman claiming to have birthed him. Aerona knew that Emanuel was wondering what to do with such knowledge.

"Are you from... Elsewhere?" Emanuel asked. "But I thought that the whole Elsewhere thing was just a cover-up for... never mind. I shouldn't have opened my mouth."

Aerona chuckled. "It's okay. I know about Release."

"Can you See Beyond?"

Aerona smiled at her son. "I know about colors, Emanuel. Music, too. There's actually one song I always liked."

Emanuel seemed more welcoming now. His solemn expression was completely gone, his eyes were bright and young again, and whatever pain he must have felt before seemed not to exist at all. This made Aerona smile.

"What's the name of the song?" Emanuel asked.

"Rhiannon."

Emanuel chuckled before an endless stream of words came out of his mouth. "I have a friend named Rhiannon. She has curly hair and blue eyes too. She's very goofy and playful, but she doesn't get the best grades in school. She's my closest friend out of anyone. You know, when I was first Selected, she actually promised to stay my friend. During that speech, the Chief Elder said I would work alone, but Rhiannon promised me we would stay friends. She's a chatterbox, too."

"You love her, don't you?" Aerona interrupted him.

"Yes," he confessed. "I do. The worst part is I don't know if she is capable of loving me back."

"Rhiannon is my daughter," she replied. "And you too loved each other since the day you met."

"What do you mean?" Emanuel asked. "Community Citizens aren't supposed to love."

Aerona chuckled at his comment. "And how often has little Rhiannon broke the rules?"

Emanuel beamed. Jasper held Aerona's hand, rubbing it with his thumb, and the adults looked back at the thirteen year old boy. Emanuel seemed to be fantasizing about something. What about, Aerona couldn't tell.

"I remember the day you two met," Aerona spoke. "Rhiannon recognized me, but you turned her attention away. You turned her to you because she can't need someone who can't have her."

"But," Emanuel replied. "I would have only been a Three. How would I already know something like that?"

"I don't know," Aerona shrugged. "But it's as if your blood-bond drew you to each other. At her Ceremony of Two, she tried to get you to come onto the stage with her. Whatever it is between you, it lasted up to now."

Emanuel wasn't listening. He was looking at his hands and grinning, folding his fingers in and out of each other. Jasper sighed, wishing Emanuel would snap out of it, and Aerona was trying not to chuckle at the boy's childish mannerisms. Finally, the boy looked up, blushing.

"Rhiannon used to suck her thumb a lot," Emanuel reminisced. "She stopped when she was about six. Now she just sucks on her bottom lip when she gets nervous."

Aerona remembered the days she spent nursing that girl. She had had to do it in secret, lest she be charged with a crime. Rhiannon had accepted Aerona, quickly becoming accustomed to the nourishment and care she gave her. The thought of baby Rhiannon refusing to wear her clothes and enjoying her bathing sessions made her smile. She wondered if Rhiannon still liked the water.

"Does she... like the water?" Aerona asked.

Emanuel nodded. "She talks about swimming a lot."

Aerona smiled. Jasper looked at the time and nudged Aerona, indicating that it was time for her to leave. Aerona thought that the Attendant would be returning soon.

"I have to go," Aerona said. "And be sure about one thing."

Emanuel paid close attention.

"Don't tell Rhiannon about me."

* * *

Aerona waited near the Auditorium, knowing that Rhiannon's Ceremony of Twelve was today. Emanuel was waiting around, tapping his foot. He started to pace a little bit, checking his watch every now and then. The crew inside had been finished for a while and most were trying to pick good seats in the Auditorium. Finally, Rhiannon approached Emanuel and they huddled close together, whispering things that made each other smile.

Aerona saw Rhiannon take something out of her pocket and Emanuel examined it. Just as she struggled to see what it was, Emanuel picked it up and threw it into some bushes near Aerona. Aerona was surprised that Emanuel hadn't seen her. Then again, he must have pretended not to be aware of her, lest Rhiannon noticed his shift in attention.

Once Rhiannon and Emanuel went inside, Aerona went to pick up what Emanuel had thrown: a Stirrings Pill. Aerona smiled, placing it in her pocket so no one would find it. Her daughter refused to let the Community take away her right to feel. Aerona was proud of Rhiannon.

Aerona skipped the earlier part of the Ceremony and waited around until lunch. She saw Rhiannon following Emanuel to the river, but knew better than to follow them. Instead, she sat with her Laboring friends.

"Aerona," Edna had called. "Come sit with us."

Edna and Desiderio were sitting beside each other. Edna no longer seemed to have affections for him. Aerona wondered if Edna had gone back on the Pill.

Kirabo no longer hung out with them and Ailbhe wasn't as close to Aerona as she used to be before their punishment. This made Aerona wish she kept in contact with other Birthmothers. Just then, a young woman named Lotus approached Aerona. Aerona remembered her from when she first came to the Community.

"Aerona," Lotus spoke. "I haven't seen you in a long time."

Aerona smiled. "Come, sit."

Lotus sat beside Aerona. Edna and Desiderio looked at her quizzically, as they had not recognized her before. Lotus waved at both of them.

"You've had your three children?" Aerona asked.

Lotus sighed, shaking her head. "I miscarried twice after my second birth. After that, I was sterilized and put as a Laborer."

"How is Evette?"

Right as Aerona asked this question, Edna tensed up. Aerona forgot that Evette was Edna's daughter. Desiderio looked at Edna, who refused to tell anyone what she was feeling. So Edna hadn't taken her Pill after all.

"She's pregnant with her last child," Lotus said. "And she doesn't seem very happy. Fillipa, you don't know her, she told me Evette doesn't even want to stay in the Community anymore."

Someone called Lotus from a distance and she turned behind her. Lotus immediately got up, but before she left, she took something out of her pocket and slipped it into Aerona's concealed hand.

It was the ring she gave her the day they met.

* * *

Aerona remained hidden in the shadows in the Auditorium. Chief Elder Siobhan had called Rhiannon up to the stage. Rhiannon came forward, receiving a smile from Siobhan. Rhiannon did not smile back. Instead, she shifted her feet in discomfort, sucking on her bottom lip.

"Number 23, Rhiannon," said Siobhan. "We have observed you this past year, just as we have observed everyone else. We had witnessed your capability to bring joy to those around you. We see how you can transition from one environment to another. You certainly have adequate physical strength as well as your ability to help those undergoing a similar situation as yours. Rhiannon, we assign you as Birthmother. Thank you for your childhood."

Chief Elder Siobhan gave Rhiannon a badge and a folder. Instead of going back to her seat, Rhiannon asked something from the Instructor. The Instructor nodded and Rhiannon went out of the Auditorium. Aerona saw that Emanuel sense there was something wrong. Emanuel looked around, seeing Aerona for a split second, and was careful not to give away her location before he followed Rhiannon out the door.

Aerona discreetly exited the building to see Rhiannon stomping on her folder and disposing of her Birthmother badge. Emanuel had gone out to comfort her, seeing that she was close to crying, and spoke to her calmly. Aerona rubbed her moist eyes as well.

"I'm sorry, Rhiannon," she whispered to herself. "I never wanted this for you."


	28. 7151 AD: Goodbye Again

Jasper tried to squeeze in as many illegal meeting sessions for Aerona and Emanuel as possible. By Rhiannon's Ceremony of Twelve, both Jasper and Aerona only had two more years with Emanuel. Aerona got to see Emanuel once every month, so she thought she and her son didn't get a chance to develop a stronger relationship than she liked. Emanuel seemed ambivalent about his relationship with his mother anyway.

Aerona was sitting on the couch across from Emanuel, who was lying on the bed.

"Have you spoken to Rhiannon recently?" Aerona asked Emanuel.

"At the last Ceremony, yes," Emanuel replied. "Her Ceremony of Twelve was a year ago, but it feels like yesterday."

Aerona smiled weakly. She remembered quite a few instances in which Emanuel mentioned missing Rhiannon and wondering if she still cared about him. Both Jasper and Aerona had to comfort him when it came to this issue. Aerona had hoped that Rhiannon was still her little rebellious self, simply for Emanuel's sake.

"She told me about some of her friends at the Birthing Center. She said there was one woman, Evette, who purposely committed three infractions. Rhiannon wanted to know where Evette ended up," Emanuel said mournfully.

"You didn't tell her, did you?" Jasper asked.

Emanuel seemed surprised at the accusation. "Of course not! Telling her too much would just jeopardize her."

Aerona had had to leave after that comment, for Jasper knew that the Attendant would be back soon.

* * *

Emanuel's Ceremony of Twelve was four years ago. Aerona had marked the days until the completion of Emanuel's training because she knew that that's when Jasper would get Released. She knew not to talk him out of it, but she figured the least she could do was say goodbye.

Jasper seemed to have known her intentions, as he had sent his Attendant out on an errand the day that Emanuel had completed training. Aerona had gone to Jasper's private Annex, timing it so it would coincide with her daily break, and attempted to mentally prepare herself for what was to come.

Aerona stood by the door inside the lobby. The Attendant wasn't there. She looked around, a little tempted to search through the papers Moises had left on his desk. Aerona checked her watch and the clock on the wall, wondering how much time she had left with Jasper. She knew that he was getting Released immediately after Emanuel completed training. Finally, Aerona opened the door.

Emanuel was lying down on the bed in a supine position, sighing heavily. Jasper was sitting on the couch, his elbows on his knees, and his hands on his face. Aerona felt an uncomfortable tension in the room, but decided to stay anyway. This is the last time she would see either of them.

"Hello," she muttered weakly.

"Hi," the two Receivers said monotonously in unison.

Aerona looked around and decided to sit at the chair positioned near the polished desk. She sat up straight with her hands folded in her lap, staring at the two, who were apparently ignoring her. Aerona sighed and looked at the ground for about five minutes before anyone said anything.

"Maybe coming here was a bad idea," she muttered irritably, getting up to leave.

Just as Aerona put her hand on the door handle, Jasper stopped her.

"Don't... leave... yet," Jasper almost struggled.

Aerona turned around, her hand still on the handle. Emanuel was now sitting upright and Jasper was standing up. He approached Aerona from the side and took her hand off of the handle. They held hands and sat on the couch across from Emanuel. Aerona noticed there were already dark circles underneath Emanuel's eyes. The sixteen-year-old ran his fingers through his short hair and rubbed his neck in a similar manner that Jasper had done.

"I take it you came to say goodbye," Emanuel finally said.

"To the both of you," Aerona replied.

Emanuel showed no reaction, so Aerona assumed that Emanuel knew of Jasper's upcoming Release. She didn't bother bringing it up. The subject was too painful already. As a result, they spent yet another five minutes in silence, not looking at each other at all.

"So, what happens after this?" Aerona asked in order to break the silence.

"You both know what happens to me," replied Jasper. "And Emanuel would carry out the duties of Receiver as expected. As for you, I can't protect you anymore, Aerona. Try not to get into trouble."

Emanuel smiled weakly. "You and Rhiannon must be a lot alike."

"Like mother, like daughter," Aerona replied.

Emanuel whispered to himself. "So I can protect Rhiannon."

"Only to a certain degree, Emanuel," Jasper interrupted. "If she commits three infractions, you can't prevent her Release. We Receivers may have privileges, but our powers are still limited."

Emanuel grimaced at the sound of Release and let his head hang. Aerona looked at Jasper, realizing that this was the last time she could look at him. She touched his face, her fingertips tracing the edge of his grey beard, and saw Jasper's eyes water. Jasper pulled her in for a tight embrace.

Aerona thought of all that Jasper had done for her. Only he knew what to do with her when she first came into the Communities at the tender age of eighteen. He had taken her into his home, despite the protests of his wife and son, he had wiped her tears and confided in her. She, in turn, had confided in him about her family, her old life, her trauma, and her now grown daughter. They had given each other companionship like no one else could.

No one except Emanuel.

Jasper kissed Aerona on the cheek and she started to cry. Soon enough, Emanuel had gotten in between them. Both Jasper and Aerona held Emanuel close as if they were both his parents. Emanuel was sobbing on Aerona's shoulder and Jasper looked at his watch. He rubbed Emanuel's back before he got up.

"I have to go now," Jasper said. "You have fifteen minutes before the Attendant comes back."

Both Emanuel and Aerona looked up, watching Jasper leave and close the door behind him. The door made a loud slap, leaving the room silent and eery. Aerona held onto Emanuel a little bit longer, knowing that she might not ever see him again. Emanuel would live a life of pain and loneliness and, when he finishes training his own apprentice, he would want to end his life.

As for now, it was Jasper's time to die.


	29. 7154 AD: Last Child

Aerona had to try hard to conceal her loss. Somehow, it had worked, as only Edna had noticed that there was something wrong. The fifty-three year old knew not to prod into Aerona's business, so Aerona felt comfortable around Edna. She noticed that things had changed substantially with their group of friends. Both Kirabo and Ailbhe had branched off long ago and Desiderio's friendship with Edna seemed to have faded. As a result, Aerona and Edna had stuck together, avoiding contact with most other Laborers.

A year and a half after Jasper's death, Edna and Aerona sat on a grass patch, staring at the river. Aerona still thought of Jasper. She wondered if Edna had ever thought of her daughter.

"I heard some people ask why we are always so grumpy," Edna told Aerona.

"It's because we both miss someone."

Edna looked at Aerona. "How did you know?"

"I remember Lotus mentioning Evette's Release. You grimaced. Even if you are on the Pill, you still feel like something is missing, Edna."

Edna huffed. "And who do _you_ miss?"

Aerona stared out at the river and what lay beyond it. She wondered how far her previous home was from here, what had happened to Ismene, Macsen and Rhosyn thus far, if her parents were still alive, and if Rhosyn knew the truth behind her conception. She thought of Jasper again, of how she had confided all of this to him, and what he could have possibly thought of when he died.

"The previous Receiver."

"I remember him vaguely," Edna admitted. "He was five years older than me. I was a Seven when he was Selected."

"I know who his Birthmother was," Aerona told her. "We have an extended break. We can visit her."

They both got up and Edna brushed some grass off of her tunic. "What's her name?"

Aerona tried to remember. "I think it was Jessamine. She might still live in the House of the Old."

They both decided to visit her. It was a short walk to the House of the Old. Aerona was glad that no one would bother going up to either of them. Edna was probably preoccupied with missing Evette and Aerona's thoughts were still on Jasper. Their forlorn expressions probably drove people away anyhow. They entered the building and Aerona gave a polite wave to the clerk at the front desk. She simply stated that they were going to head into the feeding room and the clerk nodded before filing out paperwork.

They entered the feeding room to see a woman in her late seventies being escorted to a single round table. A woman named Carlota (Aerona knew that she was Rhiannon's foster mother) gave the old woman her lunch. Aerona walked closer to the woman, reading her name-tag and confirming that this was Jasper's Birthmother. She waved at Edna, telling her to follow her, and they both sat down near Jessamine. The kind old woman looked up at them and smiled.

"I think I heard of you," Jessamine said to Aerona, pointing at her. "Elsewhere Girl."

"No one calls me by that anymore," Aerona replied. "I think everyone forgot there _was_ an Elsewhere Girl. I have lived here for over twenty years."

"Aerona told me you were the Birthmother of the previous Receiver," Edna blurted out.

"And somehow, I know you're the Birthmother of our current one," Jessamine whispered to Aerona. "Though you aren't supposed to know that. I'm not supposed to know how I was connected to Jasper. Birthmothers have their ways."

Jessamine chuckled softly, sipping some beverage Carlota had brought her. Edna looked at the doorway to the Auditorium, which had a Release Room attached to it. Aerona guessed that Edna was thinking of what happened in that room. Edna would never guess the truth, though.

"I saw Jasper a year and a half ago," Jessamine spoke quietly. "He said that he was getting Released. All I said was goodbye. I called him 'my son.'"

* * *

Aerona and Edna exited the building when Aerona saw Emanuel slowly walking near the wall. Aerona told Edna that she'd stay a little longer, so Edna went back to work without her. Though Jasper warned Aerona about speaking to Emanuel after he was no longer around, Aerona thought she couldn't help herself.

"Emanuel!" she called.

Emanuel looked at her and shook his head, warning her of something. Behind her, she heard a stern cough, and Aerona turned around to see a woman in her sixties. Her name-tag read Paula and Aerona recognized her as the Head Judge at the Department of Law and Justice. Through her peripheral vision, Aerona could see Emanuel turning back and heading to his private Annex.

"You know who he is, don't you?" Paula asked.

"Of course, the Receiver of Memory," Aerona replied.

Paula squinted. "You know more, don't you?"

Aerona's body language betrayed her. Paula snorted and firmly commanded her to follow her back to the Department of Law and Justice building. Aerona sighed, knowing she was in trouble and that Jasper could not help her. Within a year and a half after his death, she had already done something stupid.

Some time later, Aerona walked into the building for the first time in over twenty years. The last time she was here, she was on her way to meet the Elders, most importantly the Receiver of Memory. Jasper had only been in his thirties at the time, but he had resembled someone twice that age. Aerona had only been a weak, traumatized adolescent. Now, Jasper was dead and Aerona was almost forty.

Aerona walked into the courtroom and someone directed her to the seat reserved for the accused. Head Judge Paula sat in the highest chair. Beside Paula was a young woman named Gaelle-Grace. The young woman decided to take a seat next to Paula. Aerona guessed that Paula had an apprentice of her own.

"Gaelle-Grace," said Judge Paula. "Can you get me those files I had asked for earlier?"

Gaelle-Grace removed herself, allowing everyone else to carry on with the proceedings. Aerona saw that barely anyone was in the room. There was one man responsible for garbage disposal, but other than that, Aerona didn't notice anyone but Head Judge Paula. The aged woman glared at her, her lips pursed with annoyance. Aerona felt weak.

"I know you know forbidden information," Paula accused. "And the Receiver that had protected you is no longer around. He can't intervene. Do you know he had made sure your last punishment was less harsh? We could have had you doing worse labor."

"What forbidden information?" Aerona challenged. "I knew his name and occupation thanks to his Ceremony of Twelve six years ago."

"Don't pretend not to know what I'm talking about," Paula said irritably. "I know you are aware of your relation to him, Elsewhere Girl."

"Now I am," Aerona replied sarcastically.

Paula huffed and looked at her desk, running her finger on the edge of a single sheet of paper. She rubbed the back of her neck, sighing and looking down before she flashed Aerona an odd smile. This put the almost-forty year old on edge.

"You won't be doing any labor for your punishment," Judge Paula said. "And I noticed you haven't yet produced your three children."

_Yes I have. I had Rhosyn back with my brother and my best friend. I have the Receiver and I have Rhiannon._

"So," she said. "You will give the Community one last newchild. During the gestation period, you will only be in contact with various doctors and nurses. Contact with these individuals will be minimal. When you deliver the newchild, you will be reassigned to a different type of labor than you have been working in. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Aerona replied, fearing the dangers of loneliness.

* * *

Aerona was impregnated and locked away for nine months. Doctors and nurses would come in intermittently to check her vitals. They knew not to converse with her, but she attempted to speak with them anyway. For most of the day, she would try to nap in order to pass the time. Often, she would wonder if she was losing her sanity. She would pace around, attempting to remain steady when her large abdomen kept her unbalanced. When no one was looking, she would peek out of the tiny window of her door. Whether or not this helped her is still up to debate.

Occasionally, she would see her baby girl strolling the halls with a woman named Nasrin. They both were chatting with Nurse Mattan, whom Aerona could tell that Rhiannon had "Stirrings" for. When no one was directly looking at Rhiannon and Nasrin, the older girl pecked Rhiannon on the cheek. Rhiannon blushed and held Nasrin's hand as they walked together like young schoolgirls.

Aerona stepped back from the window, thinking of how unbearable Jasper's loneliness must have been before she had come into his life. Oh, how she wanted to be with Jasper. She scratched her head, as if digging through insane thoughts to find some vestige of her old self. Aerona started to sob before she went to her private bathroom and filled up the tub with water. The isolation was starting to get to her. _Damn that Judge Paula to Hell. Hope she fucking burns there._

She removed her clothes and stepped into the tub, using her hands to keep her body steady. Once she had curled up inside that tub, she rubbed her pregnant belly, wishing that Jasper was still here and could visit. She remembered enjoying his visit when she was surrounded by her old Birthmother friends, listening to him tell her that she got her favorite name for her little girl. Getting lost in the memory, Aerona sobbed and chose to fully submerge herself into the water.

She tried to keep herself under for as long as she could, hoping that the water would take her life. After her body protested, she came out, heaving for air, and she gripped the sides of the tub, screaming out of anger.

_I am too weak, _she thought. _I'm too damn weak to take my own life._

Soon enough, she experienced painful contractions and a baby girl was taken from her body. Months later, Aerona attended the Ceremony of One and saw that her child was named Maeve.


	30. 7176 AD: Retirement and Release

During her initial period after her retirement from the Birthmother profession, Aerona had thought that she had gone completely insane. She would confuse minutes with hours and hours with days. Only the constant announcements from the speaker would indicate what time to leave home, work, and go back home. Until Maeve had her Ceremony of One, Aerona had been doing odd jobs away from the Department of Food Production.

During that time, labor was difficult. She couldn't stand the feeling of some of the tools she used in her jobs, the clothes she wore started to irritate her, and certain noises provoked her. Even the sound of a bicycle braking was enough to make her drop a tool out of surprise. She would be reprimanded by her supervisors, who had made sure that she didn't attempt to establish any sort of relationship with other workers.

Once Maeve had become a One and given to a couple, Aerona was sent to work outside the Community. She was to live in a dorm outside the city boundaries with other Laborers that worked outside the cities they lived in. There were quite a few places like this, as far as Aerona remembered from her lessons with Roberto.

Aerona was told that her clothes would be sent to her dorm. She went to the bridge that connected the Community to the outside world, awaiting her ride to her new workplace. Somehow, the wait didn't seem that long to her, despite her watch indicating that she had waited for over an hour. Aerona had hardly been aware of the stares she received when she muttered to herself and fidgeted with her hands. Whatever she did notice seemed oddly amusing to her, so this contributed to her patience.

A van finally arrived and the driver rolled down the window for the passenger seat. Aerona peered inside to see a man about her age holding the driver's wheel with a slight male.

"My name is Rocco," he introduced himself. "You must be Aerona."

She entered the car, crinkling her nose at the way the door handle felt. She was never this picky about touch before, as far as she could remember. Just then, she thought she heard an odd noise, but no one else seemed to hear it. This made her feel strange.

"I was told you are coming to live on the outside with us now," he said with a smile. "I'm from Luopiothorpe."

The name sounded familiar. "I knew a driver from there. His name was Srecko."

They listened to one another, but they didn't look at each other. Rocco kept his eyes on the road and Aerona looked at the fields that they passed. Aerona kept her voice unusually quiet. Typically, her voice was fairly audible, but not loud.

"He was Released last year, I think, or the year before," Rocco said, instilling a strange feeling inside Aerona. "His name was reused and the new Srecko was given to a nice pair of Spouses. I don't remember their names, though."

"Hmm, that's nice," Aerona replied monotonously.

It didn't take particularly long to get there, but then again, Aerona couldn't tell the different between a short and long time anymore. She deduced that her nine months of isolation had done this to her. She had read something about solitary confinement years ago, but she couldn't remember very many details about it. Aerona directed her attention to the arrangement of low-rise buildings outside their vehicle. She looked around, looking for the dorms.

"I'll take you to them," Rocco told her. "They're in that direction."

Aerona walked beside Rocco, not wishing to look around her. The hustle and bustle of the workers around her made her feel dizzy. She wanted to be alone, mourning for Jasper.

Soon enough, they walked to the other side of the small lot and entered the dormitory. There was a front desk clerk who saw Aerona's name-tag and immediately directed her to her dorm room. Aerona learned that she was to share the room with three other people. For some reason, it was gender-segregated.

She learned soon enough that she was to share a room with three women: Charisse, Alcyone, and Colombe. They were all busy, so Aerona had the room to herself for some time. She looked around, checking the drawers to see that they had already delivered her clothes and necessarily Stirrings Pills. She grimaced at the sight of the pill jar, hoping that she could hide it under her clothes. She put the pill jar in the back of her drawers and smiled, glad to have some time to herself.

Aerona learned most of what she needed to learn on the job. Most importantly, she made a new group of friends. In addition to Rocco, Charisse, Alcyone, and Colombe (who was also from Luopiothorpe), she had met Jonas, a 60-something year old man, and Eyal, a man in his mid-thirties from Brenhinesboro. This formed the basis of her friendship group and any other individual working in close proximity was a mere acquaintance.

Jonas usually helped organize which supplies went to which communities. He usually sent more foodstuffs to communities that were typically responsible for producing fabrics and whatnot (which were Luopiothorpe and Puterastadt). He would usually send more fabrics to First Status communities. Aerona learned that he first started as a driver some four years after his Ceremony of Twelve. Aerona learned that he was to retire that year. When his retirement finally came, his friends had all said their goodbyes. Aerona hoped that Jonas would be happy in the House Of The Old.

Aerona learned that Eyal was a little smug because he came from a First Status community. Though he didn't express his mild arrogance openly, the others were able to detect it. As a result, people easily got annoyed with him. Even others from First Status communities were tired of him.

Both Rocco and Charisse helped Aerona learn how to drive. At first, Aerona's strange hypersensitivity had hindered her. In addition, fears of crashing the car made her hesitant to learn. With Rocco and Charisse's support, she became more confident and her learning speed quickened. However, Aerona still held contempt for that Head Judge Paula for forcing her to go through nine months of isolation. Still, even that couldn't compare to what Jasper must have felt for a good portion of his life.

Charisse was the one to tell her that Head Judge Paula had retired, leaving the job to a young girl named Gaelle-Grace. When Aerona got to talk more to Charisse, she learned that she and Edna were in the same age group. This made Aerona smile at times, though she wished she could still talk to Edna. Unlike her, Charisse wouldn't be willing to ditch the Stirrings Pill.

Alcyone was responsible from redistributing fish from Fish Hatcheries to the communities that were not located near a river. Aerona didn't get to know Alcyone as well as she did Charisse, which she didn't mind. Alcyone and Colombe seemed to get along well and often tried to include Aerona into activities they busied themselves with in their spare time. After a while, Aerona grew accustomed to the change.

After Aerona mastered driving, she was traveling to each different community, though she never left her vehicle to step foot within their boundaries. From her driver's seat, she would see children playing and adults working. For some reason, this made her wish she could go back to Elsewhere. However, she had been far too changed by the Communities to go back.

One day, Aerona was mistakenly assigned to drive the Receiver Of Memory to a neighboring community.

Aerona drove to Hurupolis and found Emanuel waiting for his ride at the bridge. He peered into the window, seeing Aerona in the driver's seat, and his smile widened beyond human possibility. He quickly got into the vehicle and Aerona saw his face from the rearview mirror. Emanuel looked as old as she did, despite being little over twenty years of age. The thought of his rapid aging depressed her.

"So this was how they tried to keep you away from me?"

"That Head Judge Paula wasn't so smart," Aerona replied.

"Good thing she was replaced," Emanuel replied. "Tell me what's happened to you."

So Aerona reported everything to Emanuel during the drive. She described the terrible isolation while pregnant with Maeve, how she had especially struggled with Jasper's death during that period, her attempt at suicide, and how she felt when she could glimpse at Rhiannon and not speak to her. Emanuel listened attentively, understanding his mother's emotions in all their complexity.

"Sometimes I wonder what keeps _me_ from suicide," Emanuel said. "Or any Receiver in the past, for that matter."

"I have no idea," Aerona replied. "But for me, it was the sensation of holding my breath for too long. Pure instinctual urge."

"Urges that our Stirrings Pills are designed to prevent, which would make suicide easier," Emanuel responded. "Though they would get rid of any reason to commit suicide to begin with."

"We're here, Emanuel."

Much to their dismay, Emanuel had to leave for some administrative meeting with another community's Elders. Aerona had to drive back, as someone else would be scheduled to pick him up that day. This was the last she would see Emanuel for a long time.

Years later, Charisse had to retire. Alcyone, Rocco, Colombe, Eyal and Aerona celebrated with one last afternoon meal together. Aerona told Charisse to try to befriend Edna again when they entered the House Of The Old. Charisse promised Aerona she would, relieving the younger woman to some extent. Aerona was a little over fifty years old when this happened.

Within an eight year time lapse, Aerona managed to establish some relations with child volunteers who happened to volunteer frequently at the Birthing Center. In particular, she befriended two young girls: Eurwen and Melanie. Aerona never mentioned that she was a Birthmother nor did she mention any knowledge of who her children were. She didn't even intend to start any sort of underground communications system. She was simply conversing with Eurwen and Melanie to pass the time.

It was Melanie who mentioned Rhiannon. Aerona had simply asked about amusing stories of Birthmothers. Melanie had brought up Rhiannon and her funny mannerisms. Eurwen had chuckled along. Aerona pretended to be simply curious, but she secretly relished the fact that she could get information about Rhiannon from two unsuspecting children.

By the end of that eight year time lapse, Eurwen reported that Rhiannon had gotten pregnant. Melanie mentioned that the child was to be Number 19 and Eurwen said she heard that the child was male. Aerona asked if they ever directly interacted with Rhiannon. They said that they had only done so a few times, but Eurwen had mostly heard her information from those whom Rhiannon chose to associate with. Mostly, this was through a young woman named Maeve, who admitted that Rhiannon reported strange visions during her pregnancy.

After the end of a year, Aerona had made one last visit to Hurupolis to visit Eurwen and Melanie. They admitted that they had visited baby Number 19 in the Nursery a number of times, so they hadn't seen Rhiannon as much. Melanie reported that Number 19 was a shy, fussy baby. Eurwen mentioned something about Number 4 (whom Aerona didn't care to hear about) being playful and loud. Aerona thought that that sounded just like Rhiannon when she was a baby. She suppressed the thought, asking more questions about where the child ended up. Melanie said that Number 19 ended up with Gaelle-Grace and someone named Aedan, whom Aerona remembered was one of Rhiannon's old friends.

Both children reported to Aerona that the child's name was Jonas.

* * *

For some time, Aerona thought it was nice that they recycled the name of an old friend for the child of her daughter. After a while, she no longer gave much thought to it. A year had passed by quickly and Aerona, for some reason, was required to attend this annual Ceremony. Begrudgingly, she attended, and she spent most of her time scanning the crowd for Rhiannon and Emanuel. Strangely enough, they were sitting together. She smiled, glad that their friendship had endured after all.

She had watched Jonas's Ceremony of Two with only partial interest before she fell asleep. She had only woken up for lunch and, even then, she conversed with no one. She simply sat, calculating her age mentally. _Sixty-one_, she thought to herself. _I have grown old. Three or four more years until retirement._

She also spent time staring at her reflection in the windows, seeing her skin wrinkle and her hair grow thin. Aerona thought about how it felt to age, what it would be like to watch your body deteriorate and wait for your Release date. She guessed that it didn't bother most of the elderly in the community, so she decided she wouldn't let it bother her.

Again, during the Ceremony, she had fallen asleep. She woke up only in time for the conclusion of the Ceremony of Twelve. A girl named Rosemary was standing up there alone beside the Chief Elder. Aerona smugly smiled, knowing that Rosemary was Selected, not Assigned.

* * *

Five weeks later, Aerona had learned that Rosemary had applied for Release. She remembered a conversation with Emanuel about suicide and growled to herself when she heard others condemn her for her decision to "go Elsewhere". Rosemary's Release had resulted in the memories being spread out through the populace. Due to her workplace being relatively distant from the place of Rosemary's death, her companions were not as hard hit. Aerona thought about her friend Alcyone, who had retired the year Jonas was born. She was stuck inside the Community, pained by the visions that taunted a young female Twelve to the point of suicide.

Eyal, Colombe, and Rocco were with Aerona when a few memories had hit their workplace. Strangely enough, only Aerona's three friends got them. Aerona only heard mild complaints from the trio, which starkly contrasted what Aerona heard from the Community. Aerona offered to take away the visions that had bothered Eyal, Colombe and Rocco. She did not volunteer for anyone else, as she heard that her daughter and her son were taking up the responsibility.

Some time later, Aerona started to hear whispers of Rhiannon the Resilient.

* * *

**Hello!**

**Let's play a little game. Spot the references to D&D, if you have read that fanfic.**

**I covered a long time period in this chapter. I fitted it all into one because there wasn't much that happened.**


	31. 7186 AD: Selection

A few years later, Aerona retired. There was no goodbye party, which she liked. She had thought of packing her clothes, but she was told that they would supply her with clothing at the House of the Old. Aerona thought this was convenient and it saved her a lot of time. Rocco was the one to drive her back to the community. Aerona knew that Colombe would retire soon as well and return back to the community she came from, whichever one it was. A lot of things were slipping Aerona's mind.

"It was nice knowing you," Rocco said when they got close to the Community.

"Twenty five years, Rocco," Aerona replied. "Remember Jonas?"

Rocco smiled. "Yeah, he was always fun. Everyone liked him."

Aerona looked outside the window when she spoke to him, just as she had done when she first met him. Everything still felt funny to her, her sense of time was still screwed up, and sometimes she would still hear things that weren't there. The symptoms of whatever this was had diminished considerably within those twenty five years, but she knew she wouldn't be the same after that nine month long isolation period.

"I'll say hi to Charisse and Alcyone for you too."

"Thanks," Rocco chuckled. "I take it this will be the last time I see you."

"Well," Aerona sighed. "I get to see Edna. She and I were close friends." _As close as one to get to another in a place like this._

Rocco crossed the bridge into the Community and let Aerona out. She took nothing with her and didn't look back at the driver of the vehicle. She only heard it drive away, back to a place where she would never work again. Aerona made her way to the House of the Old, unsure of what to feel, and she took her time. She wished she could visit the Receiver's Annex to see her son. For some reason, she wished Jasper were still here.

Aerona had thought that it would take forever to get to her age. During her youth, she thought a day would last a very long time and that a week was the same as an eternity. Now, a day was only minutes long. She wondered how much time would pass until her death, which would undoubtedly take place in a sealed off room with only one camera. Even then, only a select few would know that she had actually died rather than returned to Elsewhere. She started to consider how much her old home has changed since she left it. What sort of changes took place, she didn't know.

Aerona entered the House of the Old and approached the front desk clerk. The woman must have known that Aerona was retiring today, otherwise she wouldn't have called in some Caretakers to guide her. She saw one man and two women appear from a hallway. Aerona squinted in order to read their name tags, but her vision was worsening, so it was much more difficult than it used to be.

"You must be Aerona," said the man. "My name is Theodore."

Another woman touched Aerona on the arm, guiding her to a room in the long hallway. Aerona relaxed when she saw her gentle smile.

"I am Yolanda," said the middle-aged woman. Aerona remembered that she was in Jeremiah's age group. Aerona hadn't seen Jeremiah, Jasper's adopted son, since he was assigned Rehabilitation Doctor. She was about eighteen at the time.

"Aerona," said the other woman. "I am Kayla."

"Theodore, Yolanda, Kayla," Aerona replied, pretending to give a shit.

"First, you need a check up," Theodore explained with an oddly high-pitched voice. "We need to give you your appropriate pills and make sure that you're healthy. During that check up, your new clothes will be brought to your new sleeping-room. Because of the high number of residents here, you will share a room with a few others. I've heard that some people here already know you, so I decided to room you with them."

_What is he, prepubescent?_ Aerona couldn't really stand the pitch of his voice, so she was glad that Kayla took over in explaining things to her.

"You will be roomed with Charisse, Edna, Olive, and a few others," said Kayla.

Aerona smiled a bit, though it took her a little bit of time to remember who Olive was. All she remembered was that she was a swimming instructor. She couldn't remember at one point she met her, though a conversation with Olive would probably clear up that confusion. She was more excited about seeing Edna after twenty five years. She wondered if Edna still felt something for Desiderio. All of the sudden, she wondered what happened to Ailbhe and if that girl still felt guilty for that affair they had back when they were in their late twenties.

Kayla, Theodore and Yolanda escorted Aerona to the room for the check up. Aerona didn't bother looking around, as her head started to hurt, and she barely noticed the doctor come in. He didn't make much noise when he entered, which was nice, as any loud noise would have aggravated Aerona's headache.

"Hello, Aerona," said the man. "My name is Chaimon."

"Hi," she replied weakly.

"Is something wrong?" Chaimon asked.

_Everything is wrong. I left the only home I knew at the age of eighteen, I lost the man who showed me genuine love in this heartless place, and I can't even see my children. I don't have my Rhiannon._

"Just a minor headache," Aerona answered.

Chaimon nodded and let out a low hum. "Would you like some medication for it?"

"Yes please," Aerona replied.

Chaimon got out some pills from a nearby cabinet. He then got out a small cup and filled it with water. Aerona quickly took the pills and swallowed the water, hoping that this would soothe her nerves quickly.

After the check-up, which was surprisingly quick, Aerona was led to her room to get acquainted with her surroundings. In the room were eight fairly comfortable beds. She noticed that they had rails on them, which could be retracted upon request. Above each bed was a speaker for requests directed to the night staff, which was typically only used during emergencies. At the end of each bed was a small drawer for their clothes. Right next to their beds were small tables. Aerona saw that there were nameplates on each bed. She smiled when she saw her name hanging from a bed in a corner. That meant no one would bother her.

She saw that Edna and Charisse's beds were near hers and smiled. Olive's bed was situated near the door. She read the names on four other beds: Denise, Fleurette, Ofir, and Iris. She had no idea who they were, but she guessed that she would find out soon enough. Aerona took one last look before she would join the other elderly.

"So," she turned around slowly to face Kayla. "Where are the others?"

Kayla smiled. "It's time for everyone to have their bath. Can you go there yourself or would you like me to come with you?"

Aerona grimaced. "I can go alone. I know where it is."

Kayla nodded and left. Aerona thought about being bathed by a bunch of child volunteers. She couldn't stand the thought of being naked in front of so many people. She stood just outside the room and thought about a memory that hadn't resurfaced in so long: her sixteenth birthday.

She found that she could not cry while remembering it. Aerona could only stand there frozen while the scene played in her head. There she was, only sixteen years old, standing naked in her cousin's art studio. She hadn't known that Pryce had hid her clothes nor had she known how much of a threat he was. He had seemed so gentle before he revealed his depravity. When the memory reached its conclusion, Aerona blinked a couple of times before opting not to have a bath.

Later that day, she had waited for her Evening Meal in her room. Edna and Charisse were in the beds near her, Fleurette, Iris, Denise, and Ofir were in beds farther away, and Olive was in the bed closest to the door. When Olive had come in, Aerona had looked into her eyes and immediately remembered her. Olive was the first person Aerona had met when she first escaped Elsewhere.

"I remember you," Olive said as they waited for their food. "I met you when you first came."

Aerona nodded. "Yes, I remember. You were with Edna at the time."

Olive nodded enthusiastically and Aerona thought she was going to get sick of Olive. She turned her attention to Charisse and Edna. Neither of them have seemed to age well.

"So what has happened between you two while I was gone?" she asked the both of them.

They both smiled.

"We've caught up so much!" Edna cheered. "And now we're always talking about our childhood."

Charisse motioned her hand toward Edna, getting her attention. "Remember how nervous we were at our Ceremony of Twelve?"

Edna chuckled. "Oh, yes, I remember."

* * *

Aerona had reestablished her friendships with Charisse and Edna, but she hadn't yet attempted to find and befriend Ailbhe. She had often bumped into Larissa, a woman a year younger than Edna who had always admired Roberto. Aerona remembered Roberto as the teacher she had for her first years in the Community. For the first time, she caught Edna staring at Roberto, who was always kind to her. The idleness of this place made Aerona reflect more on her life.

She couldn't help but wonder how Rhosyn turned out. She also hoped every day that Emanuel wouldn't be in too much pain and that Rhiannon was happy. She hoped that Emanuel and Rhiannon would stay close. Aerona would sit every day, thinking about Rhosyn, Emanuel, Rhiannon and Maeve. She had no idea how any of them turned out, though she hoped it was for the better. She wished that, one day, one of her children would take a stroll in here and make eye contact with her. Oh how she wished...

It took a couple of years before she confided her secret about Rhosyn to anyone in this community (other than Jasper). She had been questioning whether or not she wanted a bath that day and Edna guessed that there was something wrong.

"Come on, Aerona," Edna groaned. "We have to get bathed after our Afternoon Meal."

Aerona huffed. "What's the point?"

"Cleanliness!" Edna retorted for the umpteenth time.

"I still don't want to be naked in front of a bunch of people," Aerona replied, still thinking about the trauma decades ago.

Edna chuckled. "We're Old now. It's not against the rules anymore. Relax."

Aerona glared at Edna. "That's not why I don't want to be in the nude."

Edna raised an eyebrow. There were Caretakers assisting the elderly, administrative workers fetching files, and volunteering children finding the appropriate rooms for various work. Aerona looked at the door to the bathing room, fretting about what would happen to her when she would finally be exposed to a bunch of kids.

"Then what is it?" Edna asked. "Why don't you tell me?"

Aerona guided Edna to somewhere more private, though it took longer than she liked to get there. Considering how old they were, it would make sense for Edna's deteriorating body not to move so quickly. Aerona looked around, hoping that no one would be listening on Aerona's confession.

"It was four years after I turned twelve," Aerona said to Edna, realizing that she would have to censor some things, as Edna wouldn't understand all of it. "My family visited some... friends of ours. While we were there, I was coerced into becoming pregnant."

Edna struggled to understand. Aerona could see that Edna wasn't quite getting it, so she decided to elaborate a little.

"This man, he wasn't much older than I was, he threatened me if I told anyone what he did. He's, uhh, Released now."

"For three infractions?" Edna asked, clearly not understanding.

Aerona sighed. "Well, no. Let's just say it was one particularly major infraction. He stripped my clothes and forced me to become pregnant. I birthed the child and I had to leave her behind."

"Oh, you must really miss your child," replied Edna. "That part I understand."

Aerona looked at the bathing room door. "That's why I can't go in there. I think about my forced impregnation."

Edna crinkled her brows, thinking of what to do. She looked at a nearby clock. Aerona spotted Larissa passing by them, flashing an arrogant look at Edna before she headed to the bathing room. Edna grimaced at the sight of Larissa.

"I'll go in there with you," Edna said. "I'll be there. You'll be fine."

* * *

After several years of friendship, Edna had to be Released.

Everyone was in the auditorium for the House of the Old. Edna was up on the stage, being tenderly cared for. After several years of witnessing Releases, Aerona knew that it was optional for friends of the Released to make speeches as well. Aerona had a terrible feeling that no one would write a speech for Edna, so she spent a week coming up with one. She thought about Larissa, who would undoubtedly fall asleep during the whole thing, and bit her teeth at the idea. Roberto's Release had happened a couple of months before and Aerona knew that Charisse's would come in a few months time. Today was Edna's Release and Aerona wondered if she would be given time to grieve.

An administrative worker went up to the podium and tapped the microphone to make sure it was working. Then, he spoke.

"Edna, Number 41, was born eighty-five years ago. The Nurturers, at the time, had enjoyed caring for little Edna, who had a rather playful disposition. She made many friends in her youth and gave warmth to all those around her. At her Ceremony of Twelve, she was assigned Birthmother, and she took on the role with pride. She birthed two successful sons, Gale and Henry, and birthed a daughter, Evette, before she worked in Food Production. As always, she had taken on her responsibility with pride and, just as she did with her youth, provided everyone around her with warmth."

_Terrible speech_, thought Aerona.

"Anyone else care to make a speech?"

Aerona raised her hand and went up to the stage, refusing help. She looked at the door to the special Release Room, wishing that she could tell Edna what truly awaited her in there. She started to cry.

"What's wrong?" Edna asked, not being able to guess what was on Aerona's mind.

"I want to tell you so badly, but I can't," Aerona replied, indicating the Head of the Releasing Committee. "They're making sure of that."

"Who is?" asked Edna, who didn't catch Aerona's head gesture.

"I can't tell you."

Edna caught Aerona looking at the same door again. "Is it about Release?"

"It's not the Elsewhere that I came from. You'll see Evette again."

Edna seemed to calm down before Aerona made her speech, hoping to remind everyone that Edna was indeed worth something. She remembered that, some time before, Edna saw Aerona writing a speech. Edna decided that, in exchange, she would write one that she _would_ say at Aerona's Release ceremony had she not been Released by then. Aerona promised that she would not read it until the day of her Release.

"Edna, you have been one of my best friends in the community. The Head of the Releasing Committee said you gave warmth, but you did more than that. You gave understanding. You gave it to the Birthmothers that secretly cried over not being able to hold their children, to the Laborers that wished they were something better, and to the outcasts who weren't the smartest or the strongest. You gave understanding and warmth to the outsider like myself. Remember your worth. I'm not talking of what you contribute and what part of you the community has come to accept. I'm talking of your inherent worth given to you simply because you were born. With the lives that we have had, it is easy to forget."

Aerona caught Larissa sleeping and struggled not to seethe at the sight. She instead chose to call out Larissa for it.

"It's also easy to forget to stay awake for _everyone's_ Release Ceremony and not just the ones who did _oh so much_ and blah blah blah_!_"

Everyone looked at Larissa. Aerona smiled, glad to have embarrassed that woman.

"Edna, you have given me so much companionship. I hope that one day, I could return the favor," Aerona concluded. "Goodbye."

And that was the day Edna died.

* * *

Aerona witnessed many more Release ceremonies after that, including Charisse's. Lotus, the young girl that Aerona had first met at the Birthing Center, had now been at the House of the Old for a couple of years. At first, she and Aerona only exchanged knowing glances, but they started to rebuild their relationship. Aerona still had the ring Lotus gave back to her years ago. Every day, she held it and thought that she had forsaken the birthmothers. That must have been why Lotus didn't keep it.

Aerona could now stand being bathed in front of everyone. The memories of her teen years no longer held the strength they used to and she knew that the children wouldn't hurt her. They were always gentle with her. Aerona had come to appreciate the contact she could have with this younger generation.

Aerona waited on a bench in the bathing room. She saw Alcyone being dressed and escorted out by a child no older then ten years old. The child left the room and a few other volunteers came in. Among them was a red-haired girl and a boy who was known to be a bit rambunctious. The boy looked a bit like Rosemary did ten years ago. Aerona squinted in order to read their name tags, but couldn't figure out what they said.

The rambunctious boy escorted Lotus to a tub. Lotus turned around and exchanged a glance with Aerona. Aerona hoped that the tub next to Lotus would be available soon.

"Asher," called the redhead with a smile. "Try not to make a mess."

"Fiona, really?" asked the rambunctious boy. "You're starting to sound like Pierre."

_Who the fuck was Pierre?_ Aerona decided not to bother with that thought when a nine year old named Polly approached her. Aerona looked around, noticing that Larissa was after her and hoped not to be near her during bathing time.

"Hello, Eh-rona," said Polly.

Aerona sighed. "It's Ay-ron-a."

"I apologize," Polly replied. "Would you like to have your bath now?"

Aerona nodded and pushed herself off the bench. Polly fixed her smock and guided Aerona across the slippery floor. Aerona glanced at Fiona bathing an elderly man and looked ahead at Lotus. There was an empty tub near her and Aerona eyed it. Polly decided to prepare that tub.

Aerona heard Polly push the button in the tub and the water flow in from the tub's holes. She looked around, seeing a blue eyed boy approach the bench where Larissa sat. The minute she saw the blue eyes, she identified the boy as her grandson. She wondered if he would be more like Emanuel or Rhiannon. Considering that he was a potential candidate for the job of Receiver of Memory, he would have to be more like Emanuel. The community would go to Hell in a hand basket if a Receiver had Rhiannon's impulsive personality.

She thought about what Rhiannon did for everyone ten years ago. Aerona couldn't help but wonder what drove Rhiannon to collect the memories for others. Perhaps she had been close enough to Emanuel to be able to transfer them back to him. How they maintained their closeness, she wasn't sure.

"Time to step in," said Polly.

Aerona let Polly help her into the bathtub. She sat down slowly, watching Polly squeeze soap onto a soft sponge. Aerona and Lotus glanced at each other from across the aisle before Aerona overhead Larissa talking to Jonas.

"Some of the tellings are boring," she heard Larissa say to Jonas. No doubt was she talking about Edna's Release.

Aerona couldn't hear part of what Larissa was saying, but what she did hear infuriated her. "But Edna. My goodness! She was a Birthmother, then she worked for Food Production for many years! She didn't even have a family unit."

Larissa cautiously looked around before she said something to Jonas that Aerona still heard, despite Larissa's attempts to keep it secret.

"I don't think Edna was very smart."

Aerona tensed up and thought of things to say to Larissa. Larissa changed the subject to Roberto, praising him for his work and his ability to raise two successful children. Aerona had liked Roberto, but the idea of Larissa adoring him made her mildly annoyed. She still hated her for the way she thought of Edna.

"Is everything all right?" Polly asked.

Aerona lied. "I'm fine."

* * *

Aerona and Larissa were forced to sit across each other during feeding hours. Aerona had been fuming about what Larissa told Jonas about Edna. There were no young volunteers today, as the annual Ceremony was taking place. A substitute Caretaker attempted to help Aerona eat, but she rejected his offer, so he offered it to Larissa. Larissa gladly accepted it.

Aerona ate a bit of soup before she glared at Larissa. "I heard what you said to Jonas about Edna."

Larissa looked alarmed. The Caretaker asked Larissa if she was all right, she said she was, and the Caretaker asked if she needed any more help eating. Larissa said no and the Caretaker left.

"What is it that you hold against her, hmm?" Aerona asked, stirring her soup.

Larissa held her nose up. "She wasn't exactly a model citizen. Edna committed two infractions in her life, did you know that?"

"So have I," Aerona replied. "The first one was because I engaged in Stirrings with someone, that was probably over forty years ago. The second one was for showing that I knew my biological son. You know what punishment I received for knowing my son? I was forced to produce a third child in complete isolation. You know what that does to you? You lose sense of time. You lose your grip on reality. During that time, I attempted to drown myself."

"That doesn't sound very smart," Larissa commented.

Aerona snorted. "Of course you wouldn't understand. No one offers their sympathy to Birthmothers. Do you know who my son was?"

Larissa raised an eyebrow.

"The Receiver," Aerona said. "I don't _ever _want to hear you saying anything about Edna, do you understand?"

"You take things so personally," Larissa dismissed before she asked someone else to escort her to her room.

Lotus sat where Larissa left, staring at Aerona. Aerona smiled at her before she heard the doors open. The regular Caretakers were returning from the Auditorium, talking about a strange event that took place. This alerted the other elderly and soon, everyone was talking about the event.

"Lotus," said an elderly man. "The Caretakers told me they selected a new Receiver."

"Really?" asked Lotus. "I hope what happened ten years ago doesn't happen again. We don't need another Not-To-Be-Named."

_Rosemary_, thought Aerona. _Rosemary deserves to let her name be heard._ She decided not to bring her thoughts up. Instead, she took her glass and raised it, catching the attention of those around her.

"Who is the new Receiver?" Aerona asked to no one in particular.

A Caretaker heard her and quickly answered her question. "His name is Jonas."

Aerona smiled, thinking of how her son would teach her grandson about life before the Communities. She hoped that, one day, Jonas would connect with a Birthmother the way Emanuel, Jasper, and Jasper's mentor (whose name slipped her mind at the moment) did in order to maintain their sanity. Who it would be, she had no clue.

"Cheers," Aerona announced. "To Jonas."

Lotus looked Aerona in the eye when she, as well as everyone else, repeated Aerona's words with joy. "To Jonas!"

* * *

**This was by far the longest chapter I wrote in this story. There won't be very many chapters after this. I can't wait to write the chapter in which Aerona and Rhiannon reunite. You have already read that upcoming scene in Dissenters and Descendants, but you haven't seen it in Aerona's point of view!**

**Any predictions, guys?**


	32. 7187 AD: Rhiannon and a Runaway

Nothing changed much after Jonas's selection and everyone was relieved when they noticed he lasted longer than five weeks. Aerona started to miss Edna and Charisse, but she didn't bother saying this to anyone. She would sometimes stare out the window of her room and see Rhiannon doing some labor job with a red haired woman. She wondered if that red haired woman and the child named Fiona were related.

Fiona was now training to be a Caretaker of the Old, so Aerona saw her around a lot during the later hours. Fiona was always kind and gentle. She often considered asking Fiona about her grandson, but remembered that Fiona would consider it mildly rude, so she wouldn't go through with it.

Aerona finally found Ailbhe. They were in the dining hall when they found each other and it seemed like there were no awkward feelings between the two. Then again, Ailbhe must have been on her pill, which likely stopped her from feeling whatever she felt years ago. Either that, or time simply did its magic.

"Hello, Ailbhe," Aerona had greeted.

Ailbhe only smiled with closed lips, as her mouth was full. Aerona waited patiently for Ailbhe to finish up her food before they talked.

"I remember you," Ailbhe said with a smile before she jokingly replied the following. "You got me in a bit of trouble."

Aerona snorted. "I got into more trouble after that. You got off easy compared to me."

Ailbhe relaxed a bit. "So neither of us were model citizens. There are plenty of us in here that aren't. Don't worry, you aren't alone in that aspect."

Aerona saw Larissa pass by, thinking that this year, Larissa would be Released. She couldn't help but feel a little smug about it. In the distance, she saw some elderly man misbehaving. Fiona caught him and reported it to a Caretaker, who instructed her with wielding the Discipline Wand. Aerona always hated people who used it on the elderly. It was so patronizing.

"Remember Edna?" Aerona asked.

Ailbhe nodded. "I remember the speech you made for her. It still confuses me."

"I doubt you're the only one who feels that way."

They stayed silent before Ailbhe was excused. Aerona saw Carlota and Savely, Rhiannon's adoptive parents, and decided to talk to them. She hadn't before inquired about Rhiannon. Aerona knew that she couldn't blatantly ask them "oh, what did you do with my biological daughter," so she chose to direct whatever conversation they had up to that point, hoping that Carlota or Savely would end up spilling details about Rhiannon's life.

"Hello," she said politely to them. "May I sit here?"

"Of course," Carlota replied.

Aerona sat down in front of them. They both looked at her oddly, reminding Aerona that she still had her strange appearance. Her heterochromia never ceased to unnerve people. She smirked a bit, as she had gotten used to it.

"I've never really talked to either of you before," Aerona admitted. "Though, I remember you used to work here, Carlota."

Carlota smiled and put her graying hair behind her ear. Aerona could tell that Carlota felt honored for her work being remembered. Beside the former Caretaker, Savely only half-grinned. Aerona guessed that Savely felt a bit left out.

"If you don't mind me asking, what work did you do, Savely?"

Savely beamed. "I worked in the Pharmaceutical Department. We would fitch any glitches appearing in the Stirrings Pills, we would improve medicines, it was great work! I always enjoyed it. There was one woman in our daughter's year, Yoshiko. She was one of the best I have worked with. You know, she took over my experiment after I retired."

"Your daughter?" Aerona asked, feigning ignorance.

Savely replied. "We applied for a child and got Rhiannon. She was a bit of a trouble–"

"Six years after her last Ceremony, we applied for a son. His name is Poe. He was so smart, that boy! He was always careful with his assignments, he was always on time wherever he was needed, and he was always so polite. Poe ended up working in the Department of Justice!"

Aerona couldn't help but notice that they were reluctant to talk about Rhiannon.

"Rhiannon must have been a handful," she said anyway.

Carlota and Savely nodded regretfully. That was the last time Aerona would ask them about her daughter.

* * *

It was an Unscheduled Holiday. Aerona heard it through the speakers that morning and saw that everyone was excited. The Caretakers that normally worked at night were stuck working with them during the day so that their regular Caretakers could celebrate their day off of work. The elderly groaned, knowing that the nighttime workers would be very tired and impatient with them.

Some time in the afternoon, Aerona sat alone for her meal. She let her mind wander for a good deal of time. First, she would wonder what happened to her parents, Gwendolyn and Caerwyn, then onto her brother, Macsen, and his wife, Ismene. Her thoughts drifted to Pryce and she couldn't help but be curious as to the circumstances of his death. She hoped that Rhosyn lived a happy life.

She started to think about the last time she saw Jasper. Aerona started to miss him and think of his apprentice. Her son was probably rocking in pain on that luxurious bed she had sat on so many times. She remembered Emanuel's friendship with Rhiannon and toyed with ideas of what Rhiannon could possibly be doing now when she saw her daughter walk through the doors of the dining hall.

Rhiannon aged a little bit more than people typically did here and Aerona attributed that to her taking away the memories after Rosemary's Release. She wondered if Rhiannon had dealt with any other stress. Aerona simply watched as Rhiannon approached her former adoptive parents. Savely must have been caught by surprise.

At first, their conversation started out cordial, but Rhiannon appeared to become increasingly frustrated. Savely left to avoid the tension, leaving Carlota under the harsh gaze of the Birthmother. Just moments later, Rhiannon left Carlota behind and looked around. Aerona accidentally made it appear as if she had just got there when she adjusted her settings. Rhiannon and Aerona made eye contact for the first time in years.

Aerona immediately remembered every moment she spent with Rhiannon as a baby. She felt her coming out into the world, she heard her cries, she saw her baby kicking in the water of her small bathtub, she saw her crawl on the stage at her very first Ceremony, she watched from a distance as Rhiannon grew to become a playful, silly child. Rhiannon, now a mature adult, was standing before her.

Rhiannon whispered her mother's name softly and Aerona's heart froze.

After what seemed like several minutes, Aerona invited Rhiannon to sit down. She saw her younger self in her daughter, surprised by how much they looked alike and yet no one connected her to her daughter. Perhaps it was because everyone here looked alike.

"I hoped you would find me. I wondered if I would ever see my children."

_My Rhiannon!_ Rhiannon didn't seem particularly surprised, only curious. Aerona couldn't help but smile at how childlike Rhiannon's curiosity was.

"How did you react when you got assigned Birthmother?" asked Rhiannon. "I remember when I was Twelve, I stomped on my folder."

Aerona remembered seeing Rhiannon angrily protest her assignment and Emanuel attempt to comfort her. She pursed her lips at the memory. Aerona looked into Rhiannon's blue eyes and wanted to hug and kiss her daughter. There was so much time to make up for, so much of her own life to tell, and so much to learn about this woman sitting in front of her. She decided that she had been separate from her daughter long enough and it was time to tell the truth.

"I didn't have a Ceremony of Twelve," she admitted.

Rhiannon raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? _Everyone_ has a Ceremony of Twelve."

"Everyone born here has a Ceremony of Twelve."

"You're not from here?" Rhiannon asked, wide eyed.

_Guess there's no going back. _

"I came from… Elsewhere. There was, hmmm..."

Aerona couldn't explain war to Rhiannon. She couldn't explain the protests that had high death tolls. She couldn't explain the drinking problem she developed shortly after Rhosyn was born. She couldn't explain the idea that her best friend, Ismene, had lived in poverty before she married Macsen. There was so much that she could not relate to Rhiannon without being asked a billion questions on what every other word meant.

Aerona surely couldn't explain the way Pryce violated her on her sixteenth birthday.

"Hardship there," Aerona continued. "There was nothing for me, so I thought of fleeing to these communities. This one, the Head Community, was the closest. I was eighteen when I fled. When I came, I was brought to a Council of Elders."

Aerona looked at the bowl of soup in front of her. She stirred it a bit before looking up at her daughter, who was fidgeting and sitting attentively. Rhiannon was sucking on her bottom lip, a habit that Emanuel had told her about years ago, and Aerona couldn't help but wonder why Rhiannon never noticed this about herself.

"I waited for one of my children to come to me for a long time. I had three children, one boy and two girls."

Rhiannon adjusted herself in her seat. "What happened when you were brought before the Council?"

"I had no place to go. When I fled my old home, this seemed like a blissful haven. I sat before a group of Elders, but," Aerona sighed, remembering Jasper's loving face. "There was one who was the most significant."

"The Receiver of Memory," said Rhiannon. "The one who trained the mentor of my son?"

_So Rhiannon knew who her son was,_ Aerona thought. _Rhiannon really is a troublemaker._

"Yes. The other Elders had never seen a newcomer flee to their community, so they asked the Receiver what to do with me. I remember, he came into the room and everyone stood. His eyes were pained. I'll never forget the way he looked at me when the Elders told him of a young woman from Elsewhere. It was pure awe," Aerona recounted. "Pure wonder."

"He let you stay?" asked Rhiannon. "What was transitioning like?"

Aerona couldn't help but smile. She remembered Jasper's reassurances, his patience, and their inside jokes. She couldn't count how many times Jasper complained about his former Spouse, Kristie.

"It was strange. The Receiver had to help the Elders create a new schedule for me. Two years of schooling and volunteering. That was it."

"What was that Receiver like?" Rhiannon asked.

"He was a wonderful man. His name was Jasper. I remember the kindness he showed me. He understood so much. We grew to be very close," Aerona replied.

"How did you end up as a Birthmother?"

Aerona remembered standing up on that stage and having her assignment announced like it was a huge honor. The memory was hazy now, as it had been such a long time ago.

"During the two years of schooling, I struggled. Once those years were over, Jasper took me to his private room and told me that no matter my skill level, no matter my intelligence, the Elders chose my assignment."

Rhiannon seemed surprised, just as Aerona had expected. She looked at Rhiannon's hand, which she was tempted to hold, but she allowed her daughter her space.

"Why was it fixed?"

Aerona sighed. "First thing you need to know is that potential Receivers are marked. Part of it is from the genes. Did you notice that both Receivers have light eyes?"

Rhiannon nodded. "Yes."

"Jasper had the same eyes. If the Receiver's Birthmother had a female child with those eyes, she would end up as Birthmother, no matter what her aptitude was. Problem was, Jasper's Birthmother had only boys. Sure, males could easily provide genetic material to impregnate a current Birthmother with."

"But they couldn't, could they?" asked Rhiannon. "Was there something wrong with the brothers?"

_Rhiannon, you are smarter than everyone thinks._ "Jasper did some research on his brothers. One was Released as a baby. The other had committed three infractions. Jasper couldn't. He was so aged. There were too many risks."

"So they chose you all for the hope of spawning the next Receiver."

"Yes, it worked. I birthed Jasper's apprentice."

Rhiannon's eyes went wide and she bit her lip. Aerona could see why Rhiannon would be surprised; the thought of one's best friend being their sibling all along is uncanny.

"Emanuel is my _birth-brother? _Yeah, right. I highly doubt that the Elders would assign birth-siblings as Spouses."

_SPOUSES?!_ _How could the Elders make such a mistake?_ Aerona couldn't help but associate Spousehood with the loving hugs, kisses, and glances her parents exchanged with one another. She automatically thought of what a husband and wife would do behind closed doors in order to express their love and conceive a child. Chances were, both Rhiannon and Emanuel abstained from the pill. The thought made Aerona cringe.

"You were Spouses. You didn't feel… _that_ for each other, did you?"

"What do you mean?" Rhiannon asked, pausing for a moment. "You mean Stirrings, don't you? I... I…"

"Oh, oh my, you did!" Aerona realized. "You did, oh no. How could this happen? Oh, why? You didn't _do_ anything, did you?"

Rhiannon looked a little guilty and Aerona suspected that they might have done _some_ sort of activity between husband and wife. Whatever it was, it couldn't be enough to get them in trouble. Emanuel wouldn't let that sort of thing happen to Rhiannon. No matter how much he wanted her, he would exercise self control to keep her safe.

"Well, no, you can't do anything... never mind!" Aerona stammered.

Rhiannon redirected the conversation back to Birthmothering. "You said that if a Receiver's Birthmother had a female child, she would end up as a Birthmother as well. Is that why I ended up with that occupation?"

Aerona could see the hurt on Rhiannon's face and sighed. "Yes. Same reason your sister is a Birthmother too."

"Maeve."

_So Rhiannon found out who her sister was. Clever little one. _

"You two were assigned in hopes that one of you would birth the next Receiver, although some females do end up with that honorable title."

"Not-to-be-Named. She was our daughter. I knew her Birthmother, it was a difficult pregnancy."

A substitute Caretaker passed by the table when Aerona called his name. He stopped and looked at her with a fake smile. Aerona pushed her soup closer to the edge of the table.

"Hansel, do you mind moving this?" she asked.

"No problem," said Hansel, who promptly took it back to the kitchen.

"I remember you came by to help these people," said Aerona. _Well, I heard about her coming by._ "That was when I knew who you were, who your children will be. I knew you were my true daughter."

"Aerona," replied Rhiannon.

_I wish you would call me Mother._

"I remember there was one thing that Not-to-be-Named had written in her diary and something that Emanuel had told me once, five years ago."

Aerona sat up, listening attentively. She wondered what it was that bothered Rhiannon. Aerona couldn't help but think that living with two Receivers must have been very confusing for a Community woman.

"She wrote that she hoped Emanuel and I knew that she loved us."

_Oh, God. The one word that is never uttered here. Rhiannon, of all people, is confronted by it._

"I asked him what it meant; he refused to tell me on the basis that I might already know. I know it's not something people have here, otherwise I would have known what it was."

_Damn Emanuel. Even when Jasper and I warned you, you always remained hopeful._ Aerona could remember Emanuel blushing when he spoke of Rhiannon in that Annex.

"Then, he – he told me he loved me."

_Goddamit, Emanuel!_

"What does that mean?"

Aerona saw that this pained Rhiannon and held her hand. Rhiannon held her other hand and Aerona started to cry. She glanced around, seeing that a few people were staring at them. It didn't matter, though, not when she finally had her daughter back.

"It's a strong feeling of caring for someone. You would do anything for that person to be happy; you wouldn't dare thinking of betraying them. If something had happened to them, say a Release, you would be devastated. You want nothing more than for them to be happy and have a good life and you hope that they feel the same for you. It's one of the strongest things we can feel. I hope that explains it."

A single tear ran down Rhiannon's face. "Do you feel love for anyone?"

"Even though I never knew my children," she replied (with the exception of Emanuel). "I loved them."

Aerona squeezed Rhiannon's hands, remembering when they were small enough to barely grip her pinkie fingers. She knew she would choke on her own tears if she spoke anymore, but she decided to admit something anyway.

"I love you."

Months later, Aerona learned that such an emotion took over her grandson, causing him to save the life of his little brother and attempt to find Elsewhere.


End file.
